Full of Surprises
by aralana765
Summary: "Arthur sat frozen on the ground. He couldn't move, couldn't think of how. It wasn't magic. It wasn't because of his wounded leg. It wasn't even fear. It was absolute shock." My version of the reveal.
1. Arthur

**Nope, I don't own Merlin. That belongs to BBC. However, this version of the reveal does belong to me. So, you should read and enjoy it. Thanks!**

"I just don't understand how there's any sport in taking out something that can't fight back." Merlin had been talking nonstop for the past ten minutes. "I mean, I don't understand how there's sport in bashing your friend's head in either, but at least they give you a challenge. A dear can't do that. A dear runs and hides when danger shows up."

"A bit like you, then," Arthur said, annoyed. This short hunting trip seemed longer every second. The two men had left Camelot the day before, only telling Gwen where they would be. Arthur had been feeling extremely stressed, so Gwen had demanded he take some time away from his councils. So, like a good husband, he obeyed. He had made Merlin pack enough for a few days, the two of them snuck out for hunting. Arthur was beginning to regret bringing Merlin at all. "No one can find you in a fight."

"That's' because I'm smart enough to keep out of view. There's a lot someone like me can do from the sidelines." Arthur groaned, trying to discourage some sort of lecture. It didn't work. "Do you know how many times you haven't died because I was there?"

"Merlin, I am trying to hunt."

"Oh yes. Brave King Arthur seeking out a helpless animal to kill for his own pleasure. Not even for food."

"Merlin," he said, his tone imposing.

"No."

"What?" Arthur was shocked. "You don't even know what I was going to say."

"You were going to tell me to shut up."

"Okay… Maybe you did know what I was going to say. But you can't just say no!" Arthur looked around the clump of bushes they were hiding in, searching for nonexistent prey. Merlin kept scaring it away.

"Yes I can. I might just be the only one who can. But the fact is, Arthur, that after all this time, after all that I would have earned a bit more respect from you."

"Respect?" Arthur wasn't sure whether to offended by the idea, so he decided on exasperation. "Merlin, you're a servant!"

"Yeah, but would it kill you to say please? Or at least 'be quiet' instead of shut up?" As Merlin prattled on, Arthur heard footsteps from not too far off.

"Merlin, shut up!" he whispered fiercely.

"Haven't you been listening to anything I've been saying?"

"Please be quiet," Arthur responded hurriedly. Merlin froze, finally realizing something was wrong. He muttered something, looking away from Arthur and listened carefully. The footsteps were clearer now, closer. Two men. Judging by their direction, they would pass right by the hiding spot Arthur had chosen, but most likely wouldn't even see them.

Arthur's was right. Not two minutes later, later men wearing ragged clothes lumbered past. "What did we think we'd be able to find to use in Pendragon's kingdom anyway? King Arthur for ransom?" the first man grumbled. The second man shoved him, and they moved away.

After the footsteps died away, Arthur stood. "Bandits. Come on, we need to get a patrol out here.

But Merlin had other ideas."No. Arthur. Stay down. There are more out there."

"And how could you possibly know that?" the king demanded. They needed to be on their way.

"I… I can… I just know," Merlin completed lamely. "Just… please Arthur, for once, just listen to me from the beginning."

"There's nothing out there. They've gone. Now come on. It's a two day walk back to Camelot." Arthur strode confidently away through the woods. He heard Merlin stumble trying to catch up and barely managed to hold in his laughter. "Merlin: eternally an idiot." And that was when a man about the size of Percival stepped into his path with a nasty grin. Arthur turned and saw more men emerging from the trees all around him. Luckily, Merlin was nowhere to be seen. Arthur hoped the younger man had seen what was happening and taken off. Preferably towards Camelot.

"Hang on," came a voice on Arthur's left. "I've seen you before." Arthur saw a ratty little man looking him over. "You were fighting the champion for the scrawny kid when that fire started. You're King Arthur!"

"And you are all slave traders. It's wonderful to see you again," the king retorted, sounding far more confident then he felt. "Where is the man in charge?"

"I'm in charge now. The last one's dead, thanks to you. He went into Cenred's castle and never came back out. It was that witch, Morgause, I know it."

"So… It wasn't me then," Arthur said slowly.

"Maybe, but if it weren't for you, he never woulda gone in there."

"But, really, why was he killed," Arthur asked, trying to give Merlin as much of a head start as he could. "Me? Or maybe because he was a slave trader? I mean, look at your life choices. Was going to your king really the best option?"

One of the more simple men actually seemed to consider Arthur's question. But the leader only sneered. "It doesn't matter. We have you, and that ought to pay for past wrongs. I'm sure your kingdom would give anything to have her king back." As if by some signal, the bandits drew their swords together. Arthur nearly grinned. He could get away from these men in the confusion of a fight. He drew his own sword, twirled it neatly, and waited. Three men surged forward and the knight sprang into action. He struck and blocked, lunged and parried, swung and ducked. No one could lay a hand on him. Until, that is, he got distracted by a flash of red and blue peeking out from behind a tree.

"Merlin," he growled under his breath as he turned to block a stab. Then he felt the cold bite of steel down his right leg. He couldn't help but drop to his knees with a cry. The slave traders-turned-bandits surrounded him, swords pointed at his throat.

The leader gasped out a laugh. "Well done," he panted. "But you're ours now. Tell me, are you alone?"

Arthur had to fight the urge to look where Merlin was hiding. "I am." He hoped the lie was convincing. Merlin could still get away if he left now.

But evidently the servant had other ideas. "He's not alone," he called, standing about ten feet away, obviously tense. "I came with him."

The bandit laughed aloud. "So," he said, clapping Arthur on the shoulder. "You brought the twig along. Mighty kind." Arthur didn't reply, He was too busy glaring daggers at his manservant.

"Yes, I'm here too." Merlin's voice was different somewhere, Arthur thought. Controlled, maybe. But also forceful. And it wasn't like Merlin at all. "Now, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to take Arthur home. He needs medical attention." When the bandits only laughed again, he added, "I'm serious. It would be better for everyone here if you just let him go."

"How would it better? We'd lose a prime ransom."

"Yes," Merlin began in what Arthur called his peacekeeping voice. It was the tone he had used the first time they had met and called him friend. "You would lose a chance at gaining money. But you would keep your life. I'm giving you the option of leaving peacefully. Please take it." But the traders shook their heads.

"What are you going to do?" the man in charge asked. "Go get those big strong knights?"

Arthur tried to jerk his head saying 'yes, go get the big strong knights' but Merlin didn't seem to get the message. He decided to be more vocal, despite the steel at his throat. "Merlin, just go! I'll be fin-"

"Shut up, Arthur."

Arthur blinked. "I'm sorry, wha-"

"Arthur, please. Just shut up. Let me handle this."

The man sneered. "That's quite a boy you've got there, your highness. Telling off his master like that. Maybe you should listen to your master, boy. Or you won't make it out of here at all."

Merlin didn't react, except to smile as though his neckerchief had been complimented. "No, I'm not going anywhere. I'm the biggest threat you could face if you don't let Arthur go."

The king rolled his eyes. The threat wouldn't be at all effective. Sure enough, it set the bandits laughing again. One of them called out, "We don't have much to worry about, then!"

"You have plenty to worry about. Let him go."

"You know," the bandit leader commented thoughtfully, "I don't think I will." He hoisted Arthur to his feet, but set him on his bad leg, causing him crumple to the ground once more.

"Leave him!" Merlin demanded.

"No."

From where Arthur lay, he could see Merlin's face harden. "So be it." Arthur shivered under the ice of his servant's voice. Who knew the younger man had it in him? Even the slave traders paused, staring at him. The wounded king watched as avidly as the others. Merlin raised his right hand to shoulder height and pointed it towards the man. "Astrice!" he shouted and his eyes seemed to be on fire. All the men around Arthur were lifted into the air and launched backwards, lying perfectly still when the collided with the ground.

Arthur sat frozen on the ground. He couldn't move, couldn't think of how. It wasn't magic. It wasn't because of his wounded leg. It wasn't even fear. It was absolute shock. Shock and disbelief. Merlin trotted over to look at the wound in his king's leg. He tutted then walked over to one of the unconscious bandits and cut a long strip of cloth from his shirt. Returning to Arthur, he bound the wound, never saying a word.

Arthur had to speak first. "Merlin?" It was a question. Was this really his friend? It couldn't be. It just couldn't. But it was.

"Yes, Arthur?" His voice was perfectly calm.

"Did you…" do this? use magic? He gestured to the men around him.

"Kill them? No. I wanted to leave that pleasure to Gwaine and the others. They like to beat up threats to your kingship."

"But… how did…" He just couldn't get the words out.

But Merlin was ignoring him. "They ought to wake up in a few hours. We need to get back to Camelot." He tied off the makeshift bandage and leaned back to look over his handiwork. "Gaius will need to look at that tonight." He grabbed Arthur's right arm and threw it over his shoulder, hoisting the king to his to his feet. "Let's go."

"Merlin, Camelot is a two day's walk from here. We won't make it back by tonight. Even if we had horses it would take us a day at least." The two men started in Camelot's direction, Arthur limping and Merlin mostly carrying him.

"We'll be there. I have a friend who can get us home. We just have to get to the clearing up ahead. It's about five minutes out. Well, more like ten with your leg like this."

"Who is this friend? Another sorcerer?"

Merlin chuckled weakly. "He's not a sorcerer. But you wouldn't believe who it is if I told you. Just wait until you see him."

They were silent for the remainder of the walk. Arthur was trying to find the right words to ask about what had just happened, and he could only imagine how scared Merlin must be feeling right now. When they finally reached the clearing, the sorcerer settled the king on a large rock, and then walked a few steps away. There he stood with his back to Arthur, thinking. Finally, the knight couldn't stand the silence anymore. "Merlin, how did you-"

"Do you trust me Arthur?" Merlin interrupted suddenly, turning to face his king. Whatever Arthur had expected to see (paler skin than normal, eyes darting around to find some way to escape, hands trembling out of fear of being burned to death) Merlin was quite the opposite. He was calm, relaxed, and maybe even happy. When Arthur stared at him dumbfounded, Merlin scrunched up his face. "Okay, maybe that wasn't the best way to put that right now. Let me rephrase that. Do you trust me to get us back to Camelot safely?"

Arthur considered the question. So far, the only thing out of character that his friend had done today was to launch bandits flying through the air. Other than that minor detail, he had been the same loyal Merlin as he always was. "Yes…" he replied tentatively.

Merlin grinned. "Good. Um, just as a warning, our ride back won't be the most conventional trip you've ever taken. Now, I need to go call him." Arthur watched as the sorcerer confidently (more so than Arthur had ever seen him) strode out into the center of the clearing. There he stood with his balanced centered and his arms held just away from his body. Then he turned his face to the sky and began to roar. Arthur really had no other way to describe it. Merlin's voice was deeper, rougher, more guttural, and wilder than anything the king had ever heard before. "O drakon, e mala soiftengometh tesd'hup anankes! Erkheo!" He stood like that for a moment longer before walking back over to face his master. "He's on his way," he said casually, his voice back to normal. "It might take a while. I don't know where he's coming from."

"So he may not have even heard you?"

Merlin was grinning again. "No. He definitely heard me. He has to hear me. Now go on. I know you want to ask. Go ahead."

Arthur looked merlin over carefully, trying to find something different about him. Some small tell that would prove him to a sorcerer like all the others. But there was nothing exept the fact the Merlin seemed completely at ease, to the point where Arthur was a bit intimidated. No one relaxes that much unless they have absolutely nothing to fear. The man before him had nothing to fear. He didn't fear being attacked. He didn't fear bandits. He didn't even fear his king's punishment. Maybe he didn't have to fear it, if he was powerful as he seemed. Though Merlin obviously didn't, Arthur felt he had cause for worry.

"You know magic," he said finally.

"That's not a question."

"You're a sorcerer."

"Still not a question. But sort of, yeah. Technically, I'm a warlock, which is kind of like a sorcerer. Next?"

"How long?"

"I've had magic since I was born. I only really learned how to control it when I came to Camelot. I found an old book of spells that taught me a lot."

"But that's impossible," the king argued, confused. "You have to learn magic, seek it out. You can't just have it."

Merlin leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "I can. And, while it's not the most common thing, it does happen. Morgana naturally had magic. I've met a few others like that."

"Fine, I'll take your word for it. For now. Tell me, have you ever used magic in Camelot?" Maybe if it had only been a few times, they could ignore it.

"Yes." The answer was matter-of-fact, but Merlin's tone implied that it should have been obvious.

"How many times?"

"I don't know, actually. Way too many times to count."

"To do what?"

"Mostly to save your life to be perfectly honest. And in an emergency, to distract you or get you out of the way. Sometimes I do when you've been really annoying, but only when you've really bad. Oh, and when you give me more chores than anyone should be able to handle, I sometimes use it to help."

Arthur was shocked. Merlin had been using magic around him this whole time. "When was the first time you used magic near me?"

"Umm," he thought about it. "The second time we met. When you wanted me to fight you with a mace. Remember how everything seemed to be in your way, or to jump out at you? That was me."

"So this is what you meant." When Merlin looked confused, he clarified. "You said you take me apart with less than a single blow."

"Yes, I was implying magic. But I never would have actually done anything like that."

"Why did you stay in Camelot? I mean, when my father assigned you as my manservant, you had to know you'd be found out. Then you'd be killed."

Merlin laughed. "They can try to kill me. I won't hurt anyone if you do decide to sentence me to death, but I won't die. I'll always be around, where you can't see me, to keep you safe."

Arthur almost laughed and joked about Merlin saving his life when he remembered that this had happened no more than a half hour ago. And probably more often than he ever realized before. "Just how powerful are you, then? As powerful as Morgana? Morgause?"

"More. I'm not sure exactly, but Gai- the Druids say I'm the most powerful sorcerer there's ever been. I'm not sure if that's true, but I know I can take care of myself and you."

Arthur leaned forward quickly, and then winced as he moved his leg. "Gaius knows?"

For the first time since they had sat down, the warlock appeared nervous. "What? No." It was a rather obvious lie.

"Who else knows?"

Merlin sighed in resignation. "My mother. My father knew when he was alive. And Lancelot knew. Agravaine found out just before he died. A few Druids. But no one else."

"Lancelot? And he didn't tell me?"

"No. We weren't sure how you'd react and he wanted to protect me."

Before Arthur could argue further, a strange sound filled the air. It was familiar, though from some time ago. It reminded the king of a bat, though judging by the volume, it was a very large bat. Merlin jumped to his feet with a goofy grin, nearly losing his balance. "Remember Arthur. You said you trusted me to get us home." Then he took off, stopping in the middle of the field, looking straight up. Finally, the warlock's so-called friend arrived. A large golden bronze creature landed near the warlock, and Arthur could now see why the creature had sounded bat-like and familiar. Its large wings curved gently against its scaly body. This was the Great Dragon. The knight's first instinct was to grab his sword and rush out to defend Merlin but two things stopped him. The first was that Merlin had (on purposed he realized later) placed his sword too far away to reach quickly. The second was that the dragon began to speak.

"Hello young warlock," he said in a wry voice. It has been quite a while since you have called on me. Why have you brought me here?"

Arthur was frozen. The bloodthirsty beast was talking to Merlin. And Merlin seemed perfectly okay with this. He was still smiling. "I have a problem. I need to be back in Camelot by tonight. Can you take me?"

The dragon threw his head back and laughed. "We have gone over this before, Merlin. I am not a horse." Was it actually joking?

"I know, and you know I'd never ask if it wasn't important. Arthur was wounded and needs to be treated."

For the first time, the dragon looked straight at the king of Camelot. "Ah! The young Pendragon is finally away of the war going on around him."

Merlin, that idiot, began to laugh. "Only just. He barely knows anything." Arthur's glare only served to amuse the servant further. "He knows I have magic now. And I guess he's figured out that I'm a Dragon Lord, but-"

"You're a Dragon Lord, too?" Arthur managed to force out. He blushed lightly when both Merlin and the dragon laughed again.

"Yes, I am. The only one left."

Arthur scrunched his eyebrows. "I thought that was Balinor. And he died."

He instantly regretted saying this when he saw a flash of pain in his friend's eyes. "He was my father. When he died, I inherited that ability."

To cover the slight guilt, Arthur changed the subject. "Oh. And is that the last dragon?" He prayed the answer would be yes.

"No. I helped hatch Aithusa some time ago. You remember when we went after the last dragon egg?"

"And that entire tower collapsed on- you got the egg didn't you? That why you were so hell-bent on finding it first. It was your responsibility."

"You see? When you put your mind to it, you actually can be smart." Before Arthur could retort (and, to be honest, he didn't have anything ready) Merlin turned back to the creature behind him. "So, will you take us?"

"That is humiliating work for a creature such as a dragon."

"Alright," Merlin said with a somewhat amused tone in his voice. "I'll just walk all the way back to Camelot with a wounded and nearly defenseless King Arthur. It will take two to three days and he needs medical attention tonight. But if you don't mind the Once and Future King and future ruler of Albion bleeding out on the way, causing a chain reaction with the end result being no Albion and no free magic, that's fine."

The dragon gave Merlin a reproachful look. "You're getting to be as bad as your father, Merlin. Fine, I shall take you and the young king closer to Camelot. I will not, however, take you into Camelot. There is no reason for the knights to know that I am alive."

"That's fine. Thank you." Merlin turned to face Arthur. "Come on. We should probably head out. The warlock quickly scrambled up the dragon's side to sit on his back.

"I am wounded, Merlin. How am I supposed to climb up there?"

"Being wounded never stopped you before," Merlin grumbled in response. "Fine. I'll help you. Grab Excalibur, and hold very still." Arthur wasn't sure he liked the sound of this, but did it anyway. He couldn't hear what his servant said, or even if he said anything, but he could see the flash of gold as his eyes lit up (how had he never noticed that before?) and was lifted off his feet. He was not standing on anything more substantial than air. He was about to protest when he saw the look of extreme concentration on the warlock's face, and the slight tremor in his outstretched hand. He didn't want to be dropped more than he wanted to make a wisecrack. When he finally sat on the back of the dragon, he growled, "Couldn't you have warned me?"

"About my magic and my being a Dragon Lord? No, because you would have killed me."

"Not that. Couldn't you have mentioned that I was going to be hovering in midair?"

"Oh." Merlin looked honestly surprised. "I didn't warn you? I thought I did."

"You only told me to hold still, and then started to use magic on me!"

"Sorry. I thought you would have figured that out on your own," the servant said innocently, eyes wide. But before Arthur could carry the conversation further, the dragon launched itself into the air. Arthur clutched at the ridge along the dragon's back as Merlin spread his arms an laughed aloud. Once they leveled out, the Dragon Lord leaned back, settling in his seat like Arthur did on his horse. Camelot's king had yet to let go of his tight grip. From his hunched position, he had a good view of his servant's face. The younger man's eyes were closed, perfectly at ease. His expression was a combination of everything Arthur knew about him and a few things he didn't. The joy he always seemed to have underneath it all, his loyalty, his eagerness to prove himself, his courage. His power. Arthur had never seen Merlin so open, though he had never noticed his friend's lack of openness before. But this, right here, flying across the kingdom on a dragon, casually shaping the clouds above them into birds, horses, and the Pendragon crest; this was Merlin. And deep down, Arthur realized, something inside of him was trying to respond. Something that tied the two of them together. Maybe it was the destiny that Merlin often brought up.

"I love this," Merlin said dreamily. "I've only been allowed to ride Kilgharrah twice before this, but I wish I could do this all the time."

Arthur wasn't sure how to respond, so he decided to ask, "Kilgharrah? Is that his name?"

"He's been under your castle since you were born," Merlin laughed, "but you never learned his name?"

"I never had reason to necessarily interact with it. HIM! I didn't interact with him," he corrected hurriedly when he caught a glimpse of the dragon's eye. "But I have a question. You said you've only been allowed to ride him twice before. But you're a Dragon Lord. Can't you make him let you ride him?"

Merlin gave him a reproachful look, making feel not unlike a child again. "I could make him, yes. I could make him do all my chores, write poetry and do a dance if I wanted to. Dragons must obey a Dragon Lord's order."

"But…?"

"But I wouldn't do that. Think about it Arthur. You could do the same to any of your subjects. You could order any of them to do anything. But when you need someone to do something for you, and that person isn't me, you prefer to ask them instead of ordering them. I feel the same way. It's better for all of us if I respect their wishes, and they want to help me than if I force them. Do you understand?"

Arthur thought it over thoroughly. "Yeah, I do. I guess I didn't think about it like that." They fell into silence for a few more minutes.

"Arthur," Merlin finally began, sounding nervous. "Are you going to tell anyone about me?"

Arthur took his time to consider the question. What should he do? He should tell everyone. Merlin had broken the law and deserved to be punished. He should keep everything a sec ret to protect his friend. The laws were, at least partially, unjust. Both sides made sense. Both sides were right. But he knew what he had to do. "No. I'll leave that to you. As far as I'm concerned, you haven't hurt anyone, and you don't plan on doing so. But I am going to keep a closer eye on you from now on."

Merlin's worry evaporated and was quickly replaced with one of his trademark smiles. Arthur couldn't help but smile in return. "Oh, thank you Arthur! But if that's the case, then we need to come up with a story."

"What do you mean, a story?"

"I mean how we were gone for two and a half days and managed to fight bandits near the border and return. Especially since we didn't have horses and you're injured."

"Oh. Right. That makes sense. Any ideas?"

"Actually, yes," the boy responded cheerfully. This did not surprise Arthur. Merlin was very good with words when he prepared speeches for the king. Although, he was the worst liar, Arthur had ever seen. Or maybe he was the best for keeping this a secret for so long? Arthur was very confused. "I say went about a day's walk out. After the first night, we decided this whole trip was a bad idea, so we were to set out for Camelot first thing in the morning. But, when we woke up the next morning, we were surrounded by bandits. You fought them off, and helped a little bit. They ran after you wounded too many of them and took off towards the border. I overheard that that's where they were heading. Then, I bandaged your wound and we started back towards Camelot. That explains the length of the trip and why you're hurt. Also, that's how we know where to send the knights."

"But Leon will want to see where we fought," Arthur argued reasonably. He was impressed by the simple lie, but there were a few problems. "And most of the bandits weren't that bad off. And won't they have fled already?"

"I can find the Druids and have them help me fake a fight. The bandits, if they are conscious, are probably still wandering around trying to find us. They have no way of knowing that we are almost back to Camelot. And as for their injuries-" he leaned forward and spoke slightly louder, "Kilgharrah! Would you be able to take on the bandits and make it look like sword wounds?"

"Of course, young warlock. But only because it is needed to keep your secret hidden. I will not clean up all of your messes." Arthur thought the dragon sounded like a father giving a child a warning to behave.

"I understand. Thank you."

After a pause, Arthur said, "Merlin?"

"Yes?"

"I do think you should be able to tell the knights. If I'm planning to change the law about magic, I want their support."

Merlin looked very excited. "You're going to change the laws?"

"If there is a just reason, and it is truly the right thing to do, then yes."

"Wow! I should have told you about my magic ages ago!"

"I mean it, Merlin," the king said seriously. "You'll have to prove it to me. And tell your friends if you think they can handle it. They deserve to know." The rest of the trip was made in silence. Arthur final managed to relax enough to let his hands hang free and glance over the dragon's sides to the ground. He could understand Arthur's love of flying, but he didn't think he could do this more than once. There was something unnerving about not being in control of yourself. The trip ended in the same clearing where- "Hang on!" Arthur said aloud after Merlin help him to dismount. "I killed you. Right here. I stabbed you right through the heart. Merlin told me so- You lied to me, didn't you Merlin?"

Kilgarrah barked out a laugh. "You did not kill me, Arthur Pendragon. You cannot hit me in the heart for you do not know where my heart lies."

"So, Merlin lied to me to protect you."

The warlock in question pulled his friend's right arm around his own shoulders to help the king stand. "That's right. Now come on. We have to get you to Gaius."

"But what about asking the Druids for help?"

Merlin grinned at Arthur. "I did that already. Most of them have telepathic abilities. I asked them for help when we flew over their camp. They said they'd do it."

"You are full of surprises today, Merlin." Then Arthur turned to Kilgharrah. "Thank you for helping us today. And I apologize for my father's actions against you."

"You have nothing to apologize for, young Pendragon. My imprisonment was Uther's doing, not your own."

"I feel as if I owe you a debt," he pushed. He truly did feel guilty about all that had happened and he was honor-bound to offer.

"The only thing I would ask is that you listen to Merlin. He has a wise head on his shoulders. He will give you good advice and lead you to your destiny."

Arthur looked at the blushing man supporting him before turning back to the dragon. "I will. Thank you." Kilgharrah made a slight bowing motion that the two men before him returned. He then spread his wings and flew to the north.

As Arthur and Merlin made their way towards the Citadel, the older man said, "So, Merlin. You're a sorcerer." Merlin nodded. "And a Dragon Lord." Another nod. "You can speak to the Druids with your mind." Raised eyebrows. "Is there anything else I need to know?"

"Umm, Morgana is scared of me, but she doesn't know it."

"And what does that mean?"

"She is afraid of a sorcerer named Emrys, which is my name to the Druids. I'm not sure how she learned that name though. Or why she's so scared of it for that matter."

Arthur wasn't sure what that meant. "Okay? Anything else?"

Merlin thought about it. "Well, the Catha- basically and army of warriors dedicated to the Old Religion- their leader, Alator of the Catha has sworn his loyalty to me. So if it comes to it, I can call up an army to fight under my name."

The wounded man froze and the warlock almost tripped at the sudden stop. "MERLIN!"

"What?"

"You have an army ready to fight for you and you don't think it's important enough to tell me?"

"Umm… No? It's not that big of a deal. I haven't seen them in a while."

"It is that big of a deal! It's an army of sorcerers!"

"But they're not going to bother you. I told Alator that I would only contact him if he was really needed or if he would be able to pass freely through Camelot. When you finally make things right again."

"You really should tell me about things like immortal armies."

Merlin rolled his eyes. "If I wanted to, I could take away everything that makes you Arthur and get you to do my chores. The Catha shouldn't be your primary focus right now."

"You couldn't do that to me," Arthur argued, though he did wonder if it was true.

"I've done it to you before," was the simple response.

"You WHAT? When?"

"Um, remember when you first met Tristan and he thought you were a simpleton?"

Arthur's face looked dangerously close to murderous. "Yes," he muttered through clenched teeth.

"Well, I knew you would never have left Camelot of your own free will, so I took your will away. It was rather cute actually. And you said 'please' and 'thank you' and washed the dishes, and rubbed down the horses and-"

"MERLIN!"

"Yes, Arthur," Merlin asked innocently.

"How could you- You made me- Don't you ever-" Arthur couldn't find the words. After another minute's struggle, he took a deep breath and tried to calm down. "How many times have you used on magic on me?"

"On you specifically? I don't know."

"Fine. Tell me, then."

Merlin scrunched his eyebrows and grunted as he stumbled. "Tell you what?"

"Tell me how you've used magic on me."

So, Merlin told him. He told him as many stories as he could remember, sometimes backtracking if he forgot something. Arthur listened patiently, only interrupting if Merlin began to ramble. There were so many stories that there wasn't a single silent moment until they reached the Citadel's walls. Not wanting to appear weak to his people, the king lead the way to a door away from the Lower City. He limped past some surprised guards, using Merlin as more and more support. Eventually, they turned a corner to find a conversation between Leon, Tristan, and Gwaine. Arthur made to go back the other way, thus avoiding notice, but Merlin had other ideas.

With a grin, the servant called out, "Oh! Hello! We're back."

Each of the knight's reactions was different. Gwaine turned so fast that his hair fell into his face, covering his smile. "Merlin! Good to see you." He didn't get his greeting to Arthur in time.

Leon scowled at the two men, storming over to them. "Where have you been? You can't just leave like that. Gwen and I have been trying to cover for you since you left-"

Tristan watched Arthur with measured eyes. "And I thought you were the responsible one. Maybe a hunting trip wasn't such a good idea-"

Arthur opened his mouth to defend himself, but Merlin spoke first. "Um, can we save the scolding for later? Arthur needs to get to Gaius."

That was when the knights noticed the bloodstained rag wrapped around their king's leg. Leon growled and turned to his fellows. "Tristan, Gwaine, take Merlin and Arthur to see Gaius. I'm going to find Gwen to tell her that your back." Then he stormed off.

Arthur glanced at Merlin. "What's eating him?"

Tristan strode over and indicated that he would take Merlin's place holding Arthur up. Merlin gave up his position and rolled his head around his neck and the knight replied, "He's been doing your job for the past two days. Where have you been?"

Merlin helped Arthur to tell the lie they had planned before falling back with Gwaine. After another minute, he turned down a branching hallway and started away from the group. "Where are you going?" Arthur demanded.

Merlin gave him a look that said it should be obvious. "To do my chores. You know how you are without food, and you haven't eaten since this morning. And you'll want a bath. And you-"

"Fine! Go!"

Merlin smiled and trotted off. Gwaine checked to make sure Tristan was fine taking Arthur on his own, then followed after his friend. When he caught up, he commented, "You seem to be in a good mood."

"I guess I am," the boy said after a moment. He grinned up at his friend.

"Now that seems strange to me. You just got back from a hunting trip with Arthur. You hate hunting and Arthur could not have been fun to be around after he got hurt. And you were attacked by bandits."

"I know. But Arthur didn't catch any game, and I wasn't hurt in the firth. And it gave Arthur and me a chance to talk."

Gwaine looked at Merlin as though he was crazy. "You. You talked with Arthur," he asked in a disbelieving tone. "What did you talk about?"

The servant looked down at his hands. "Oh, you know, stuff. I might have mentioned that I deserve a little more respect."

Gwaine grinned and clapped him on the back. "There's a boy. It's about time. He treats you like dirt most of the time." Merlin shook his head, but didn't argue. By now they had reached Arthur's door. The servant nodded a goodbye and pulled the door open. "Hang on! Let me help you. You've practically been carrying His Highness-and-Mighty for a day and a half and I have nothing better to do."

"It really wasn't that bad," Merlin said, but he seemed to thinking something over. "You know what? I'd love some help. Arthur's right."

"Right about what?" Gwaine asked, entering the king's chambers.

"Oh, nothing. But I have something very important to tell you. And you just might not believe it…" As Merlin pulled the door closed behind them, Gwaine could have sworn that the boy's eyes were gold.

**And there you have it. I have a few ideas for how some of the other characters find out; namely Gwaine and Morgana at the moment. It you want to see these, let me know and I'll get right on it. I'm glad you liked it!**

**Aralana**


	2. Gwaine

**Alright everyone! I've had some great feedback about this story, and here is the next reveal. Put your hands together for Gwaine everyone!**

"_Oh, nothing. But I have something very important to tell you. And you just might not believe it…" As Merlin pulled the door closed behind them, Gwaine could have sworn that the boy's eyes were gold._

Gwaine lounged against the table, intrigued by the serious tone the boy before him had used. "What is it? Living in Camelot, you learn to believe just about anything." Merlin walked past him and began to fix Arthur's bedding.

"Well… you know how I said I was talking with Arthur earlier? We were talking about some of the things that have happened here at Camelot since I got here and how we managed to survive them." He tugged at the sheets, pulling them taut. After a long pause, he chuckled to himself. "This is harder than I thought it would be."

"What is?" Gwaine asked. If he didn't know any better, he would have said the boy before him was nervous. But he couldn't be. Merlin didn't get nervous. This scrawny man could stand up to anyone; Gwaine himself had seen him stand up to Arthur, Uther, and most of the court without breaking a sweat. Whatever he needed to say, he was worried about how Gwaine would react. "Merlin, put down the pillow. Come tell me what you need to tell me."

Merlin sighed and lay the pillow down. The bed half made, he joined Gwaine at the table, sitting hard in the chair facing his friend. "This should be easy. You're one of my best friends. If I can't tell you, how am I supposed to tell everyone?"

Gwaine saw the desperate look in Merlin's eyes and glanced around the room. He spotted a goblet and jug of water. He filled the goblet (Arthur's favorite, he couldn't help but notice) and gave it to the servant. It looked, as it always did, as though Merlin hadn't had a chance to relax in weeks, let alone to sleep or eat. So, seeing that his friend was still thinking, he stuck his head outside Arthur's door and was lucky enough to spot one of the servants walking past. "Excuse me," he said cheerfully. He knew this particular girl and had flirted with her on more than one occasion, so she gave him a coy smile and stepped closer.

"Yes, Sir Knight?"

Gwaine leaned in close. "Could you do a favor for me and a friend? Could you bring some food up here?"

Sidling closer, she asked, "Anything in particular you want?"

"Not really. Just enough to feed me and Merlin. And Arthur doesn't need to know about this, alright?" The serving girl raised an eyebrow at the mention of the king's servant, but nodded.

"I can have a feast up here in minutes, but only for you, Sir Gwaine. And don't worry your pretty little head about His Majesty finding out. We servants are excellent at keeping secrets." And with another coy smile and a seductive wave, she walked towards the kitchens. Gwaine smirked a little, and then returned to his friend.

"Lunch is on its way up. And Arthur won't hear that we ate at his table. I know he doesn't like when we do." He couldn't help but laugh as he remembered a few times when he had come to see Arthur, and instead found Merlin eating a king's lunch.

This brought a small smile to Merlin's face as well, but it didn't seem to reach his eyes. "She was right, you know. The girl you were just talking to? Servants are very good at keeping secrets." He set his elbow on the table and leaned his head on his head. "I want to tell. I really do! But I've kept it so long that I can't. I just… Gwaine, I don't know. I just don't know."

This whole situation was putting Gwaine on edge. He felt as though he was about to go to battle for Merlin, fight for him. He wasn't quite sure what made him feel this way. Maybe it was the helplessness that Merlin was practically bleeding. Merlin may be useless at fighting, but he never felt it, or at least he never showed that he felt it. He was always one of the first into battle; the one to volunteer for a dangerous situation, the one to make sure everyone was ready. He never lost faith, was never unsure, at least as far as Gwaine could see. And Gwaine had seen a lot. Merlin was his first true friend, and he would never forget that. He would always stand by his side, and would always defend him. And seeing that indecision in the boy's eyes, he knew he had to help. "Merlin, look at me." When he did, he had tears in his eyes. "What is going on? You can trust me."

A smile. A small one, but a smile none the less. "I know I can. I can trust you with anything. Anything but this. I've never just told someone before. It was always an accident when anyone found out. I don't know where to start. And I just want to know it will end well."

"Well, let's find out." Before Merlin could reply, there was a soft knock on the door. With a nod to Merlin, he stood and opened it.

The servant girl from before and one of the cooks came in, both carrying fully loaded trays. When the two women set them before Merlin, he looked up in surprise. "What's all this for?"

"Gwaine said you needed food," the cook said calmly. "I'm rewarding him for asking instead of stealing for once. And you never eat. And she," she points to the girl accompanying her, "said that he sounded worried about you."

"So, you brought me all this? I don't know if even Percival could eat all of it!"

"Believe me, he could. And yes, Merlin, for you. We do like you downstairs, even if you help scoundrels like him steal from my kitchen." She glared pointedly at Gwaine. "And you never eat. And since Arthur's not ready for his lunch yet, I've decided that you get food fit for a king. Just don't tell him I said that." With a nod, the woman grabbed the serving girl's arm and tugged her back out into the hallway.

Gwaine grinned and filled up a plate, watching as Merlin did the same, but slower. No one said a word for a while, enjoying Arthur's lunch. The knight was slurping up a particularly savory soup when Merlin said, "They're training you, you know."

Swallowing the scalding liquid, he gasped out, "Who is?"

"The cooks. The scold you when you steal the food. They reward you when you ask for it. They're training you, like a dog."

A laugh burst through the knights lips. "I think you're right Merlin. But I'm not sure if it will work. You know, sometimes I think you see everything much clearer than anyone else around here. You just understand people."

"What do you mean?" the servant asked, taking a bite of his chicken

"Take me for instance. You were a fast and true friend. You didn't judge the fact that I liked drinking and bar fights. You didn't even care that I was just a commoner. You just sort of ignored all that and saw… I don't know what you saw. I'm just glad you did." Merlin smiled a little, and Gwaine took it as a good sign. "Before all the complications, Lancelot told me that you did the same thing for him that you did for me. Liked him from the beginning and tried to get him to be a knight right off, despite his heritage. Didn't say how exactly, but he got the point across." A sad look crossed the servant's face, so Gwaine quickly continued "And, it's sort of the same with Arthur. You took a man who, according to Leon, was a complete ass. You took him, and saw the man he would become. You probably made him the man he is. Though there's still room for improvement, wouldn't you say?" This even managed to shock a laugh out of him. "You know who a person is Merlin. You just see things clearly."

Merlin swallowed. "Thanks, Gwaine."

The knight watched as Merlin carefully picked at chicken. "Well, I've done my sharing bit. Now it's your turn."

A look of panic passed through the boy's eyes for a moment, before being replaced by a calm acceptance. "I guess I have to now, don't I?" he asked, taking another bite of chicken. "And Gwaine?"

"Mhm?"

"Just, please, don't judge me for this. I don't want to burden you with my secret, but I need you to understand." Gwaine sipped from his soup bowl, met Merlin's eyes, and nodded. Eyeing the chunk of meat on the end of his fork, the boy rushed out, "Ihavemagic," then popped it in his mouth.

Gwaine scrunched his eyebrows and leaned closer. "I'm sorry; I don't think I caught that."

"I… Well, I have- I have magic Gwaine."

There was a slight tilt to the knight's face. "I think I still missed that. I thought I heard you say, well, something that you couldn't have said. Try me one more time."

Merlin's sapphire eyes met Gwaine's chestnut ones. "Tell me what you think I said."

The knight wanted to scoff and laugh it off, but those eyes argued. They told him that there was far more to the boy they belonged to then anyone knew. "Merlin, please tell me that you didn't say what I thought you said. Tell me what you said. Now. No aversions, no lies."

"I have magic." It seemed to get easier to say every time he did. "That's my big secret. I have magic."

Gwaine leaned back in his chair, trying to be casual, but never let his eyes stray from his friend's. He put a hand up to his mouth and thought. Magic. Merlin is magic. Is that even possible? How? "Prove it to me."

Merlin looked surprised. "What?"

"I need you to prove to me that this isn't just some horrible, sick, twisted joke. Show me."

"Do you honestly think I would do that to you?" The boy adjusted his belt, a hurt look in his eyes.

"No I don't. Just show me."

Gwaine watched carefully as Merlin stood up and turned to look around. Merlin's eyes rested on the partially made bed and he raised a hand to it. "Onbregdan." The blue crystal color in his eye was covered by a coating of the brightest gold, just as Gwaine had thought he had seen when Merlin entered the room. As the knight watched, the sheets twitched themselves into place and tucked themselves in. The pillows arranged themselves in the right positions. Once everything had settled, the boy lowered his hand and turned to look his friend in the eyes, waiting for a response.

Gwaine had jumped out of his seat. "That- that-" he couldn't get the words out at first. He just wasn't sure what to say. Merlin, giving him time to think it over, sat down and ate another bit of his soup. "That was amazing. You really do have magic. Who would have ever believed that?" He sat down hard. After a shocked silence, he began to laugh. "You've managed to keep this from Arthur for this long."

Merlin looked up from his bowl. "You're not upset?"

"About what? You having magic makes a lot of sense actually."

Merlin heartily tucked into his food again. "It does? How?"

"Back in Jarl's, when Arthur and I were fighting. You started that fire."

Merlin looked confused, then raised his eyebrows. "Oh yeah! I forgot about that! I thought you might bring up Arthur's quest or something."

"When we had to go to the Perilous Lands to save his ungrateful neck? That does come to mind, especially with that dwarf in our way, the 'Keeper of the Bridge." Gwaine grabbed his tankard and downed most of its contents. "Thinking about it now, even that makes more sense. He was talking to you before I came out, which shouldn't have happened since I'm pretty sure I told you to wait while I checked everything out."

Merlin grinned sheepishly. "That almost never happens."

"Anyway, you didn't seem at all surprised when he turned my sword into a bouquet of lilies. And when I crossed to the other side, he was still talking to you. It was obvious that you didn't want to talk about it, so I let it go. Did he know about your magic?"

"Yes. I don't think he even knew my name, but he knew more about my quest than I did."

"Arthur's quest, you mean."

"No, actually, I mean mine. The bridge keeper said it, and so did the Fisher King. Arthur chose the quest, because I had to find my way there. And together we made some sort of trio."

Lounging in his seat, Gwaine commented, "I remember that. When I showed up, he said something about strength arriving and the trio being complete. I'm strength, then?"

"Yes. Arthur told me that the guy called him courage. And I was magic."

Nodding, Gwaine took a bite of chicken. Then he jumped, choked on his food, and asked, "Wait! Did you say the Fisher King? You saw the Fisher King?"

"Yeah. And he gave me a present."

"He what?"

"He gave me a vial of water from the Lake of Avalon." When he saw the confused look on Gwaine's face, he explained, "Avalon is kind of like a land of magic. Avalon Lake is like a doorway that leads there. I've been there a few times before. But the Fisher King told me that the water would help us in Camelot's darkest hour. And he was right."

"So you've used it then? Good, because we've had some pretty dark hours. If we've already had our worst, then everything's only going to get better. Right?"

Merlin thought about it. "Actually, no. I think it's been getting worse. I used it when Morgana took over Camelot the first time and you and the others were knighted. Then, we had the thing with the Dorocha. Then Morgana took over again." When Merlin saw the look on Gwaine's face, he added, "But maybe you're right and it will start getting better soon."

Gwaine shook his head and chuckled. "Well, here's hoping." He held up his goblet and touched it to Merlin's before gulping a good amount of it down. "Now, do we need to get some chores done before Arthur gets up here?"

Merlin grinned at him. "Yeah. But this will be a lot easier than normal." He looked over at the bathtub. His eyes flashed gold and the fire sparked up, heating the bucket of water above it. Another golden glance set another bucket and rag to scrubbing the floors. He raised a hand over their dishes and all the empty ones neatly stacked themselves on the trays before them. "Now all I have to do is pour the hot water in the tub and bring Arthur his food when he gets here."

"That saves a lot of time," the knight commented lightly. "I really hope you do this all the time."

Merlin gave him a funny look. "No. I couldn't take the chance of someone seeing."

"What's that look for?"

"You're not, I don't know, scared of this? My magic? I mean, you could be killed for knowing. Magic is as illegal as, well, actually it's more illegal than anything else."

"Merlin, I've been all across the Five Kingdoms. Some of them allow magic, some of them outlaw it, some of them despise them, and some treat it as an honored gift. I've seen it used for just about everything: healing, art, fighting, tricks, and plenty others. If it was someone I didn't know very well, I might be nervous. But it's you. I don't have to worry about you being corrupted or dragged down or being stupid enough to get caught. If anyone should have magic in Camelot, it should be you."

Merlin blushed. "Thanks."

"No problem. You're a good friend, Merlin, and I intend to be the same for you." Merlin gestured at the bucket hanging over the fire and it emptied itself into Arthur's tub. The thought of Arthur caused Gwaine to laugh suddenly.

"What? What's so funny?"

"Nothing. Just Arthur. I can't wait to see his face when he finds out about all of this."

The warlock grinned back sheepishly. "You missed it. He found out this morning when I saved him from bandits."

"I missed it? That's disappointing." Then he thought through all of what Merlin had just said. "You saved him from bandits this morning? Not that I doubt that you saved him. In fact, I'm sure that happens pretty often. But you said that you fought them yesterday."

"I lied," Merlin said calmly. "This morning, Arthur walked into a trap and I had to save him. With magic."

After a chuckle, Gwaine realized, "But you told us that you met them a day's walk out but that we'd find them by the border."

"I lied about that too. We ran into them close to the border, then I knocked them out. They ought to be awake now though. If you leave today, you might catch them before they realize that they won't find a crippled Arthur making his way back towards Camelot."

"How did you get back so soon," he asked, honestly curious. "Did you use magic?"

"Kind of? It's complicated. And it might be a bit weird." Gwaine nodded for Merlin to continue. "I'm not just a warlock. I'm a Dragon Lord too. So, when I realized that we needed to get to Camelot faster than we could manage ourselves, I called the Great Dragon. He flew us back here."

"So, what you're telling me is that you saved Arthur's life this morning using magic. Then, you used your Dragon Lord powers to call in a friend. Finally, you and Arthur rode your pet dragon back to Camelot."

"Yes. Well, no. He's not a pet. He's a dragon. But other than that, yes."

"Merlin, you are one of a kind."

"Yeah. I suppose I am. Look, I should probably take the food back to the kitchens, and Arthur and Gaius will be wondering about me."

As Merlin stood, Gwaine gripped his arm. "One thing, before you do. Who else knows? Me, Arthur, Gaius I bet. Anyone else?"

"My mother. Lancelot did, but… Well, that's it."

"Are you going to tell anyone else?"

"Yes. But I don't know when. When I do, will you help me?"

A grin. "Of course! What are friends for?"

"Not helping me take these trays downstairs apparently."

"Fine. But then I need to go find Percival. He probably doesn't know that we are going on patrol tomorrow. Or tonight. Someone's got to tell him."

"Thanks Gwaine."

"No problem. Thanks for telling me." Both men grabbed a tray and left the room. Merlin turned around, and in a flash of gold, the door pulled shut behind them.

**And voila! Now, I will say right now, that not everyone is going to be as accepting as Gwaine and Arthur. I've got a plan worked out for characters I want Merlin to tell, but if you have any ideas feel free to tell me. Also, I'm not exactly as excited about my next chapter as I was about this one and the last one, so it might take a while. Sorry in advance. However, reviews are still greatly appreciated. Thanks!**

**Aralana**


	3. Guinevere

**All right everyone. Here is Guinevere's chapter. Thank you to everyone who reviewed this story, place it on alert, and marked it as a favorite. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside to know that so many people like it. So, here you go. Chapter three. Enjoy!**

A few weeks passed. Most people could tell that Merlin was in an exceptionally good mood. He, when not working on his chores, was usually found with Gwaine or Arthur, laughing or whispering off in a corner. In fact, people noticed that Arthur was spending more and more time with his servant, talking with him about, if they heard correctly, matters of state. Gwaine and Arthur were also together more often than normal, and quite often the trio could be spotted leaving Arthur's room after hours of not being seen.

One day, during training, Arthur was drilling a few of the particularly inexperienced knights while Merlin and Gwaine watched from the sidelines. "You know Merlin, I think even you could take some of them with a sword."

Merlin rolled his eyes. "I know it's hard to believe, but I'm not bad with a sword. After my first year here, when I realized how many times Arthur tends to get in over his head, I've had Leon training me. I could take them with a sword. I might not be you or Arthur, but I can hold my own."

"Of course you can. Not to mention that you wouldn't even need the sword."

"No, but it is helpful."

The two men were still chuckling when Guinevere walked over. "Hello boys. How is training going?"

Merlin patted the grass next to him, saying, "Fine. The new guy is struggling, but Arthur's going a bit easy on him."

"And by easy," Gwaine clarified, "we mean that he's not pounding him into the ground. The poor man's still getting a beating."

"Of course," the queen responded with a smile. "It wouldn't be training without it."

After a moment's silence, Gwaine nudged Merlin. When the warlock looked at him, the knight raised an eyebrow and nodded towards Gwen. Merlin's eyes went wide in panic. He shook his head hurriedly. Gwaine smirked and leaned back on the grass. "Hey Gwen. Merlin needs to tell you something. It's pretty important."

Merlin sent an angular elbow into Gwaine's ribs. But it was too late. Gwen looked at her friend curiously. "What is it, Merlin?"

"Not yet," he muttered to Gwaine. "You said you'd help, not force me into it."

"Yeah, but you needed help getting started. So, go on. I'll wait here. Call if you need help."

"I hate you."

"I know. Now get a move on."

Gwen had been watching this interaction in confusion. "Merlin? You don't have to tell me whatever this is if you don't want to."

"No," he said sullenly. "I really should. Come on. Let's go over by wall. No one will listen in there." He stood and Gwen followed when he walked away. He caught Arthur's eye (while he was in the middle of a sword fight) and the king nodded at him. There was something to that, and the grin the Gwaine was giving him, that encouraged him. He smiled. This was Gwen. His first friend in Camelot. She of all people would listen to him.

Gwen watched him cautiously. She had noticed that he had been acting differently the past few days, and had wondered about him. Maybe now she would find out what had been going on. "What is it? You know you can tell me anything."

"Yeah. I just think it would better to show you. It will be easier." He looked around carefully, making sure that no one was close enough to see what he was doing. Gwen automatically did the same. He pulled a torch down from the wall near them and held it before her. "_Hoppaþ nu swilce swá lieg fleogan_," he muttered quietly. A few tongues of flame pulled away from the rest, flowing to his other hand. "_Draca_." The fire shifted and danced, shaping itself into the form of a dragon. He held it still for a moment before gesturing with his hand for the flames to join the torch again. As soon as they had returned, he placed the torch back on the wall. After he received no response from her, he prompted, "Well? Say something Gwen."

But she couldn't. How could she just say something? What was she supposed to say? Merlin had just done magic. True magic in the middle of Camelot. Merlin was her best friend, but she hadn't known about this, not until today. "But you- You can't- No. No Merlin. No, no, no." Her voice was a harsh whisper.

"Gwen?"

"Just stop. You don't have magic. You can't have magic."

Merlin leaned close and she flinched away. "Gwen, I'm sorry I never told you. I wanted to, I promise, but I wasn't sure. It's just that, I need you to know. I don't want to keep it a secret anymore. I've always had magic, my whole life."

"Please stop. That's impossible. If you've always had magic, you could have saved my father. You could have saved Morgana. Or- or stopped her from hurting people. You could have saved so many lives, Merlin!"

Merlin looked shocked and in pain, as if she had slapped him. "Gwen… I did. I tried to save them. I did save your dad before, when he got sick from the afanc. But, when I did that, it nearly got you killed. Uther never did trust you, and I was afraid if I helped him again, you would get blamed again. And he might have had a fair trial if he hadn't tried to escape. And I did a lot to help Morgana. I knew about her, the whole time, but I couldn't say anything. Gwen, I've done so much more to help people, especially you and Arthur, with my magic then I can even remember. You have to believe me." He reached out a hand to comfort her, but she stepped back.

"Don't touch me, Merlin."

"Gwen, please, I'm sorry about everything. But I needed to show you that not all magic is bad, and-"

"No Merlin. Maybe not all magic is bad. But, I can't believe you! You just get away from me! I won't tell Arthur, but I don't want you to come anywhere near me, do you understand?"

Merlin shifted his feet and looked down. "He already knows. Gwaine, too."

"Great. Then you have nothing to worry about." When Merlin reached for her again, she shouted, "No! Just get away from me!" And she stormed off back into the castle.

The whole courtyard turned to stare. They had never heard their queen so angry, nor had they ever seen such tears on her face. So they turned to Merlin with accusing stares. But he looked just as bad off. He looked as though he were about to cry, as he hurriedly turned to face the wall that looked over the lower town.

Arthur, while in the middle of a sword fight, heard and saw the commotion. He saw Gwen's reaction, and Merlin's reaction to hers. He quickly twisted his blade around that of his opponents, sending it spinning away. Pressing his sword's tip to the young knight's throat, he forced the boy to yield. "Everyone pair off! I want to see perfect sparring when I return. Gwaine, with me." The knights groaned, but did as Arthur said. Gwaine jumped off the grass and hurried over to the prince. "Gwaine, did you hear what happened?"

"Probably no more than you. Gwen seemed a bit upset there at the end," he summed up sarcastically.

"Yeah. Look, I want to go talk to Merlin, but Gwen might listen to me. I'll convince her to talk to Merlin again. You look after him. Calm him down. I really don't need an angry sorcerer storming around my chambers later today."

Gwaine was about to make some remark about whether Arthur was focusing on the real issue here when he caught the look on his king's face. Arthur was worried. It wasn't even hard to see, like his concern for Merlin usually was. Gwaine squeezed Arthur's shoulder and nodded. "I'll do my best."

Gwen had run back to her chambers, barely bothering to shut the door behind her before throwing herself on the bed. Her mind was whirring away, trying to fully process what Merlin had said. Magic. He had magic. Automatically, her mind supplied her with memories of times where situations had suddenly changed and Merlin had been around. When she had chased after Morgana the last time she had taken over Camelot and the ceiling had mysteriously caved in. A vague image of Merlin kneeling next to her when she had been a deer and he had recognized her. When he had known about the love enchantment placed on Arthur and told her how to break it. So he hadn't lied. He did help people. But he should have just told her from the beginning! She wouldn't have told anyone. Or would she? She had always been very law-abiding as her father had taught her. Maybe it had been best that he hadn't told her. But that didn't mean it helped his case. How was she supposed to trust him when he had kept this from all of them for so long? What else had he kept hidden?

With her face buried in her pillow, she didn't see her husband enter the room. She only looked up when he pulled her close to him. "Guinevere?" She didn't reply. "He didn't mean any harm. He's explained everything to me and he's only used magic to help. You can trust me on this."

She looked up at him with teary eyes. "How can you just accept it? He's been lying to us since we met him. How could he do that?"

"You know as well as I do that he hated every minute of that. It's Merlin. He hates lying, and he loves you. But you also know that he had to. Magic is illegal, even now. I want to change that now that I've learned the truth. But I need my wife to stand behind me."

"Arthur, I don't know if I can do that."

Arthur ran his fingers through her hair. "Can you do something for me? Just talk to Merlin. Let him explain, start from the beginning. Please?"

Gwen was silent for a moment, the only sound in the room was a bit of sniffling. Then, "Fine. I'll talk to him. But don't think it will fix everything."

Arthur nodded. "Thank you."

Gwaine made his way over to Merlin. The boy had composed himself, watching the Lower Town with a blank look. "Well," the knight said lightly, "that didn't go as well as I'd hoped." Merlin glared at him before return to his watch. "Look, I honestly thought Gwen would take it better. I shouldn't have pushed you into it like that. It was wrong of me."

Merlin sighed and slumped over, leaning his hands on the low wall. "Yeah. It was. But I don't blame you. We had no way of knowing she'd react like that."

"No, we didn't. But Arthur's talking to her for you. He'll convince her to come back to listen. I'll help you to explain if you want. I'm sure Arthur will too. But he'll make sure that you can tell her everything."

Merlin looked up at him, attempting a weak smile. "Arthur's trying to help me? That's new."

"I know. That's what I said." Gwaine put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Gwen will get over this. It will just take some time. She was raised here, where magic is wrong. She's only seen it used for the wrong reasons. But you can show her otherwise."

"Arthur accepted me pretty easily. He was raised in the same situation, if not worse with Uther hanging over him."

"But he saw you do magic to help him. She just has to blindly trust what you're telling her. It will take a while for her." Gwaine saw Arthur standing in his window. He nodded down to his knight then walked away. "Come on. Gwen will talk to you. You ready?"

Merlin looked up to the now empty window. "Yeah, I think so. Let's go."

Gwen didn't turn around when the door opened. She heard Arthur offer a few words of encouragement to Merlin, and Gwaine pat him on the back. Then the door closed, and they were alone. There was a long silence as both waited for the other to speak first. Finally, Gwen couldn't stand it anymore. "Well? Arthur told me to let you explain, but I don't hear any explanations." She turned around to face him.

He looked rather pathetic. His hands were clasped in front of him and his eyes were downcast. "Gwen, I didn't mean to scare you earlier. I just thought that you'd take it better." Suddenly worried he might have offended her, he added, "Not that I blame you for how you did react. I mean, I should have expected something like this. Magic isn't a good thing here, especially for you. You were arrested for it twice, but no one ever considered it could be me. Did anyone tell you that I tried to confess that first time? Everyone thought you had healed your father and poisoned the people, but I was the one who healed Tom. And I confessed. I went into the council and told them I was a sorcerer. But they didn't believe me. Arthur put my word down and wouldn't let me take your place even though it was rightly mine. And then the second time, well. I did take your place then. I disguised myself as an old man with an aging potion and let Arthur catch me sneaking around his room. I told Uther that I was the sorcerer, not you. I couldn't let you be burned. I nearly was, though. I couldn't make the spell stop. I was stuck as an eighty year old man about to be burned at the stake. It's all thanks to Gaius that I'm still here."

"But Dragoon cursed Gaius and attacked him."

Merlin couldn't hold in a small chuckle. "Not really. Does he seem cursed to you? And he wasn't even frazzled when 'Dragoon' came after him. He was slipping me my potion to get young again. Think about it. Was Arthur under the influence of a love spell back then? Were you? Would making the two of you fall in love really do anything for an enemy of Camelot? You love him, he loves you. That was all real and you know it. So why should it surprise you that the sorcerer was protecting you?" When Gwen took her time thinking about this, he added, "And what self-respecting sorcerer would go around calling himself 'the Great Dragoon'? That's an awful name!" Merlin finally startled a laugh out of her.

She looked at him, truly, for the first time. His innocent eyes were wide, asking for forgiveness even as his mouth quirked up into a grin. She sat down at the table and motioned for him to do the same. "It really is a terrible name. How did you come up with it?"

Merlin looked elated that she was willing to hear him out. "I'm not really sure. It just…came to me, I guess."

"And, do you, I don't know, do magic a lot?"

"Not really. Only when Arthur's pratiness gets out of hand or Camelot needs saving. Which is really often. Have you ever noticed how often Camelot gets attacked by magical creatures, or neighboring armies, or Arthur gets hit with a love spell, or whatever it is? Because it's really often."

Gwen couldn't help chuckling a little. "It seemed to get worse after you got here. We never really had as many problems before you."

"That is not my fault. Coincidence, maybe. Or I just got here when I was really needed. I was destined to come here to protect Arthur, so it makes sense that I show up right when I'm needed most."

"What do you mean 'destined'?"

"Oh, um. Well, I'm supposed to help Arthur unite Albion and free magic again. It's my destiny."

"How do you know that?"

"Someone told me once. Someone who's hard to ignore."

Gwen looked at him sharply. "Another sorcerer?"

"No. No, no, no. I don't really know a lot of sorcerers. I mean, I know a few of the Druids, but most of the times I met a sorcerer, I was trying to stop him- or her- from killing someone.

"Then who?" Merlin looked down at the floor and rubbed a hand on the back of his neck. He muttered a response, but Gwen couldn't understand him. "Who?"

He spoke with an embarrassed voice. "The dragon… The Great Dragon." She just stared at him. "Arthur never killed him. I just sent him away. I'm a Dragon Lord. The last one, actually. But he's really not a problem. He's helped us since then. I know it's hard to believe after he attacked, but he's a friend. And he's helped me a lot in becoming what I need to be and keeping Arthur and me alive. And you for that matter."

Gwen blinked at him. "The…dragon?"

"Yes."

It took her a moment to speak again, but when she did, it was with a small laugh. "All of this is a bit hard to take in, Merlin."

"I know. But…can you? Do you still trust me?" Merlin's eyes were wide and hopeful.

Gwen hesitated, her smile fading. She spoke slowly and chose her words carefully. "I trust that you will do no harm. I trust that you love Arthur and me, and will not hurt us. But I don't know that I can trust you the way I did."

Merlin nodded. "I understand." He turned to leave, but paused before he reached the door. "Gwen? I have one more thing I need to tell you. Something that you need to know. I haven't even told Arthur yet. I wanted you to know first. And I know it won't be easy, but it should help."

She watched him cautiously. "What is it?"

"When we last saw Lancelot, when he came back-"

"Merlin, I don't like to talk about that."

"I know. Just listen. I know that you would never betray Arthur. I've always known that. Even then. And there was something that didn't seem right about him when he showed up. He didn't greet me like he normally would have. He looked over me for the most part, and we both know he never would have done that to me. I thought something was wrong. Then, when I talked to him alone, I mentioned that I wished I had used magic to save him. He didn't remember that I had magic. That's not something you easily forget."

"He knew you had magic? You told him?"

"He figured it out on his own during his first time in Camelot. But he was always willing to help me cover it up. But last time, he had no idea. It wasn't Lancelot. The man we saw wasn't fully him. He was a Shade, a man raised from the dead to obey a sorceress. Morgana brought him back to come between you and Arthur. I figured that much out when Arthur found the two of you together. But it took me awhile to figure out why you went along with it."

Gwen looked down at her feet, ashamed. "I couldn't stop myself."

"Exactly. So I searched all the stuff he left in my room. I looked around for anything Morgana could have given him to use on you. I didn't find anything, but I realized that you were back to normal- well, sort of- after you left the dungeons. So, I went down there and found a bracelet. He gave it to you, didn't he?" Gwen nodded, stunned. "It had a love spell on it. More of a lust spell, really. But it basically pulled you to Lancelot. So it wasn't really your fault. And it wasn't his either. After he died in the dungeons, Arthur told me to bury him. I took his body to a very special place, knowing that he deserved an honorable burial. I freed him from Morgana's control and he lived long enough to thank me. Then, I sent him on. But do you see, Gwen? Lancelot would never have come between you and Arthur had he any choice. And you would never have done that to Arthur if it weren't for Morgana's doing." He waited for an answer. When he realized that there was none forthcoming, he finished. "I just thought it might make you feel better. I'll be going. Thank you for hearing me out, Gwen."

Just as his hand reached the door, she finally managed to speak. "Merlin, don't tell Arthur about Lancelot. Let me. And what I said earlier about not fully trusting you, that's still true. I'll try to trust you again, but it won't be easy." Merlin nodded without turning to face her. "You may go."

Merlin quickly left, pulling the door shut behind him. Gwaine lounged against the wall opposite, but straightened the moment his friend appeared. "Well? What did she say? Arthur would be here too, but he had to go finish training. He said I could wait for you."

"Thanks. Gwen accepted that I have magic. But she doesn't trust me as much, anymore. I understand."

Gwaine wrapped an arm around Merlin's shoulders. "Well, it's better than nothing. And you still have me and Arthur."

"Yeah, I do. But promise me something Gwaine."

Gwaine glanced at the slightly pitiful look in Merlin's eyes. "Anything."

"Let me choose when to tell people from now on." He smiled at his friend, who grinned in return.

"Deal."

**There you have it. My next chapter shouldn't take as long to write. School is out and I'm excited about the next character. Let me know if you saw anything that can/should be fixed or if you have any suggestions. Thanks for reading!**

**Aralana**


	4. Percival

**And chapter four has finally arrived. It took longer for me to get around to writing it for you than I expected. A special thanks to She Was Waiting for practically telling me what to write next. And, without further ado, here's the next chapter. Yup. Well, sheep says bah!**

Percival watched his friends laughing together at the corner table of the tavern and couldn't help but smile. Elyan sat directly to his right and Gwaine to his left. Next to Gwaine was Merlin, then Arthur, then Leon. Percival had only had a few drinks and felt pleasantly warm. Gwaine had drunk at least twice as much, yet he still seemed clear-headed. Until a few moments ago when Percival had seen him whispering with Merlin and Arthur, and then standing up to sing. Perhaps he was not quite as sober as Percival had thought. Arthur, already attempting to shut Gwaine up by covering his mouth, stood and grabbed his knights arm. "I think he's had enough, wouldn't you say?" Percival nodded as Elyon made calls of "Here, here!" and Leon laughed. "I'll take him back. I have to get up in the morning for a council meeting anyway and it won't do to have a hangover. Percival, will you give me a hand?"

The tall man nodded and stood. He gripped one of Gwaine's arms and pulled it around his shoulders. I just barely reached. Arthur took the other arm, and Merlin trailed along behind them after calling a cheerful "Goodnight!" over his shoulder.

They had reached the citadel's courtyard when Gwaine suddenly straightened and started to walk on his own. Arthur released the man, and Percival did the same after hearing him speak. His words were not slurred, and his legs didn't wobble. The man seemed, for all intents and purposes, sober. "Sorry about that, Big Man. We needed an excuse to leave and bring you with us. We don't want them to know yet. Merlin has something very important to tell you." Arthur nodded in agreement.

Percival raised his eyebrows. Arthur and Gwaine going out of their way to give Merlin assistance? That wasn't exactly an everyday sight. Well, not for Arthur. Gwaine would always drop everything for the servant. "What is it Merlin?"

The boy stood slightly in the shadows, so only half of his face could be seen. He was wringing his hands and tugging at his neckerchief. He was nervous. Percival glanced at Arthur and Gwaine, who were standing off to the side. They were both giving Merlin encouraging looks and Gwaine was even flapping his hands in a 'get-on-with-it' motion. "Right. Umm…" He looked down at his hands. "I need to tell you something. About me. I know it will be hard to believe, and I know it's against the law. I just hope you'll still trust me when I'm done explaining. Or at least that you'll take it better than Gwen did." Merlin hesitated and Arthur moved behind him to rest a hand on his shoulder.

"Gwen? You mean when she got mad at you on the practice fields?"

Merlin looked up at him. "Yeah. She, uh, didn't like what I said. But she's better about it now. Sort of. But Arthur's okay with it, and so's Gwaine." Percival just quirked his head to the side in a silent question. "Well, I suppose the best way to do it is just to say it. I… I have magic." Percival nodded, waiting for the life-changing news. Merlin stared at him for a bit. Then, when Percival gave no other response, he looked back at Arthur with a confused look on his face. Arthur shrugged, so Merlin turned back to Percival. "Did you hear me? I have magic."

"Yes." He watched Merlin expectantly.

"Yes, you heard me? Or yes, I have magic?"

"Both."

By now, Merlin, Gwaine, and Arthur were all staring at him with wide eyes. "You're not-? You don't seem upset."

For a moment Percival looked confused. "Why would I- Wait. That was what you needed to tell me?" Merlin nodded, a concerned look on his face. "Why would that upset me? I already knew that." He took in Merlin's pale, shocked face; Arthur's careful, analytical look; and Gwaine's open disbelief. "Didn't everyone?"

"No. No, not until about a month ago. I never told anyone. How on earth did you know?"

"It's obvious. I mean, how else could you have emptied the Cup of Life with Lancelot? I wasn't sure why you were pretending to take out the warning bells, but I overheard you and Lancelot talking about it the night before. That's when I found out."

Merlin had been shocked into silence. However, Arthur had been shocked into yelling. "You knew? This whole time, you knew and you didn't tell me? And you-" he rounded on Merlin. "You went after the Cup of Life?! Without telling me? _Mer_lin!" The servant rolled his eyes, and Arthur focused on Percival again. "Why didn't you tell me when you found out?!"

Percival stared at him blankly. "I thought you knew. I thought that was just another of the unspoken secrets of Camelot."

"Unspoken secrets of Camelot! What secrets are you talking about?"

"Like…Like letting Agravaine stay in Camelot even though he was evil so he could lead us to Morgana."

Gwaine scrunched his eyebrows. "That's what we were doing? No one told me."

"No, that's not what we were doing. I didn't know he was evil!"

Merlin managed a grin. "I did."

"No one else knew?" Percival asked. "What about the dragon being alive? You surely know about that. He's constantly landing on that field. I think there might be two now. The other one is white."

"You're right." Merlin looked in the field's general direction. "His name is Aithusa. I named him."

Gwaine clapped a hand on Merlin's shoulder. "You never told me there was a second dragon."

Merlin would have responded, but he noticed that Arthur looked about ready to explode. He quickly grabbed the king's arm and tugged. "Sire, maybe you should go up to bed. Gwen's probably waiting for you. Gwaine and I can handle this."

"No. I want to hear what Percival has to say." He was trying to stay calm, but his voice was tense.

Merlin murmured something under his breath and his eyes flashed gold. A goblet soared through the open window to Arthur's room. Merlin caught it and held a hand over it. "Wæter." Water filled the goblet nearly to the brim and Merlin looked pleased. He handed it over to Arthur. "Go on. Drink up."

"It's water?"

Merlin rolled his eyes. "No, I'm actually trying to poison you. Just drink."

"Shut up Merlin." And he drank.

Percival chuckled. "That's something else no one talks about. Merlin has Arthur wrapped around his finger."

Merlin sputtered. Arthur choked. Gwaine laughed. "Now, _that_," the knight gasps out, "that, I do know."

"He does not!" Arthur almost stamped his foot in indignation.

Gwaine murmured something that sounded suspiciously like, "Of course, your Highness. Whatever you say." Arthur glared at him, but Percival interrupted before he could retort.

"But isn't that why you always let Merlin knock you out? So he can do his magic without you bothering him?"

Merlin's jaw dropped, but Arthur looked honestly confused. "What do you mean, let him knock me out? Merlin's never knocked me out. Right Merlin?"

"Well…"

"Shut up, Merlin."

"Yes Sire."

Percival watched this with amusement. "I could have sworn you knew. Why else would you let Merlin feed you that ridiculous story about the ancient king sticking a sword in a rock? You didn't actually believe that, did you?"

Arthur rested a hand on the practice sword at his belt. Excalibur-the name he had given the extravagant sword he used in battle- was sitting up in his room. "What do you mean?"

"Merlin put the sword there a while ago. After we got Morgana off the throne. You _really_ didn't know?"

Arthur turned very slowly to face Merlin, a dangerous look in his eye. "Merlin. Explain."

Merlin sighed. "Thanks Percival. I hadn't reached that part yet. Yes, Arthur, I put Excalibur in the stone. Remember the sword I told you about? Forged in a dragon's breath? I had to hide it after it didn't go to you so it couldn't be corrupted. I threw it in a lake so no one could find it. I found it later to use on Morgana's army of the undead. Then I put it in the stone. Kilgharrah told me I had to hide it where no one could take it. Then, when the time was right, I gave it to you. Two birds with one stone, right? You got the sword that was always intended for you, and your faith in yourself was restored."

Arthur was obviously struggling to try to stay angry. It wasn't working. "Next time, just give me the sword."

"Agreed." Merlin reached over an refilled Arthur's goblet automatically. "Next time I have Kilgharrah forge you an all-powerful sword, I won't hid it in a rock." He grinned at Arthur who seemed unable to not chuckle. Gwaine joined in, and Percival smiled.

"So Merlin," Percival asked after the tension was thoroughly relieved. "When you hid the sword in the lake, did you leave it with your girlfriend there? I know you like to visit her a lot. Especially recently."

Merlin blushed and looked down. "She's not my girlfriend…"

Gwaine grinned. "You've got a girl, Merlin? And you didn't tell me? I want to meet her. Where'd you say she was, Perce? Down by the lake?"

"You are _not_ meeting her, Gwaine," Merlin said seriously. "And she doesn't live by the lake. She- for lack of a better word- lives _in_ the lake."

Gwaine's witty reply stopped short. "She…lives in a lake."

"Sort of. I mean, she's been there since I put her there a few years back."

Arthur frowned. "Merlin, why did you put your girlfriend in a lake?"

"I didn't just tell her to live in a lake, Arthur. She was dying. I just-" he looked down. "Look, this is one story I want to keep to myself."

Arthur was surprised at the sudden change in mood. One minute ago he had been his normal, sarcastic self. Now he couldn't even look his friends in the eye. And Merlin hadn't held any stories back so far. There were plenty he hadn't gotten around to telling yet, but he had never refused to explain. He moved to sit by Merlin, not quite close enough to touch. "Merlin, if you still see her, she didn't die, right?"

"No. She died." The warlock didn't look up, running his finger through the dirt, writing in runes. "I took her to the Lake of Avalon because she told me she loved mountains and lakes, and because she deserved something beautiful. The spirits of Avalon made her like them. She's not mortal anymore, but she's tied to the Lake."

There was more to the story, Arthur could tell. Should he push Merlin into telling him? Merlin didn't want to talk about it, but it was evident that he was holding it too close to him already. "Did I ever meet her? When she was alive, I mean."

Merlin barked out a bitter laugh. "Yeah, you did. Just once. She'd only been in Camelot for a few days, but we were close. I just wanted to help her. I was going to get her out, take her somewhere safe, but…" He looked up suddenly, meeting Arthur's eyes. "None of it was her fault, Arthur. She didn't mean to do any of it. She hated herself for it."

"What do you mean? Do any of what?" He paused. "You don't have to tell me." For some reason, Arthur was nervous about the answer. Merlin wanted to protect this girl from him. Maybe it was better he didn't know why.

"She… She was cursed. At night, at midnight, she was forced to kill others."

Arthur scrunched his eyebrows. "That sounds like the bastet."

"She was the bastet."

Arthur almost grinned. Merlin had to be joking. There's no way he would have helped the creature that had killed both guards and citizens of Camelot. But Merlin wasn't laughing. In fact, he looked defiant, as if daring Arthur to comment. "But that means-"

"That you killed her." The defiance disappeared. Merlin wasn't angry. He wasn't accusing. He just looked sad. So Arthur did something he almost never did. "He put one arm around Merlin's shoulder and pulled him close. At first, Merlin tried to push away, but Arthur was not going to release him yet. A minute later he tried again. Arthur still didn't budge. "Arthur, let me go." No response. "Arthur, I'm fine. Really." The arms tightened. Merlin looked up to find Arthur grinning down at him. "Really, Arthur?" He pushes himself away again, starting to smile himself. The struggle lasted a few more minutes. Every time Merlin managed to start getting away, Arthur would shift and pull him back in again. By the time he finally escaped, he was laughing.

Then Gwaine came up from behind and gave his own hug. "I'm only letting you go if you let me meet the girl who's stolen our Merlin away. Or if you can get me a meeting with her friend from the river.

Merlin groaned. "Get off, Gwaine."

Gwaine grinned and stepped away. "Fine. No magical girlfriend for me."

Percival chuckled. "That's probably for the best."

"Thanks big man." He rolled his eyes. "I appreciate that. Really, I do. Do you have any other unspoken secrets for us? Some unspoken knowledge that we should know?"

The large knight paused, thinking. "That old man who took out Elyan, Leon, and me in the woods. That sorcerer." He turned his eyes on Merlin. "The same one Arthur had come try to heal his father. That was Merlin.

Arthur was shocked. "How on earth could you possibly have known that? How could you know I had someone heal my father?" Percival just shrugged.

Merlin looked sheepish. "Sorry about that. I really, _really_ needed to get away from Camelot."

"I know. You were stopping yourself from killing Arthur."

Merlin's eyes go wide. "Yeah! Exactly! I'd already made maybe four or five attempts on his life. Poison in his breakfast, a crossbow in his wardrobe, acid in his bathwater, a sword… Gaius still laughs at me for being the worst assassin of all time."

"Hang on," Arthur interrupted. "Why were you trying to kill me?"

"Because Morgana told me to."

Silence. Then, "Why did you listen to her?"

Merlin looked at him, confused. Then he grinned. "Right. I haven't told you that bit yet. Remember when we were being chased by bandits and I got hurt, but there was a rockslide before you could come back. Then you found me a few days later? Well, I caused the rockslide so you wouldn't stay around to get caught. Morgana turned out to be in charge, took me, and healed me. Then she used this creature, the Fomorroh, on me. It makes a person obey the one who controls it. She told me to kill you, then left me where you'd find me. I kept trying to kill you until Gwen and Gaius were able to put it to sleep long enough for me to get rid of it."

"Gwen knew about this?"

"Yes. So I used an aging spell to go after Morgana. That's when I ran into Percival and the rest. Sorry, again, for that. Then I burned the creature. You thought I'd been in the tavern."

"Because you're always in the tavern!"

"Arthur, I am never in the tavern." Merlin looked indignant. "I'm always either saving Camelot, doing my chores, or dying somewhere. How have you not figured this out yet? Anyway, Percival, I guess you understand why I did it. I won't lie, it was sort of fun." He grinned. "But I did try not to hurt you guys."

"Oh, I know." Percival's eyes were dancing wickedly. "Just know that I will get you back for that."

"You…will? Really?" The thought was actually sort of frightening.

"Yes. You humiliated the three of us. I'm a knight. My honor can't stand for that."

Merlin sighed. "Of course. Great. Now I have to watch out for you, too."

Gwaine nudged Merlin with his elbow. "I would advise sleeping with one eye open. When Percival wants to get back at someone, he doesn't hold back."

"Yeah, remember when I got Cook to force you out of the kitchens for a whole week?" Percival laughed at Gwaine's mock angry face. "You faked being sick so you could flirt with that barmaid, and I had to go on patrol for you. So I told Cook that you had only stayed behind to perfect stealing her food. You weren't allowed within one hundred feet of the kitchens until I got back."

"It was horrid, Perce. Absolutely terrible. How could you do such a thing to me?" Percival only shrugged. "You know, normally I don't think you talk enough. But when you do talk, you _talk_. A lot. And about really amazing things. Who knew that you knew so much about Camelot?"

Arthur yawned. "Well, I for one am glad that you do. If you notice more things that everyone should know, but we don't, tell me. But for now, I'm off to bed. I really do have a council meeting in the morning. Goodnight." He started to walk off before he noticed that no one was following him. Merlin was still chatting. "Merlin!" The warlock grinned, stood, and rushed over to Arthur.

Behind them, Gwaine and Percival decided that going to bed sounded like a great idea. The four of them walked into the citadel together. Just as they made to split up to go to their respective rooms, Percival asked, "Wait. You guys knew that the Lancelot who came back wasn't really Lancelot, right?"

**And there it is. I already have a long list of people to write about, but if you want to add to it, let me know. Thanks for reading.**

**Aralana**


	5. Elyan

Percival strolled down the streets of the Lower Town. He passed the blacksmith's shop, formerly owned and run by Gwen and Elyan's father. These days, Elyan worked the shop with his apprentices in his time away from training. As Percival walked by the door, he could hear angry screams in his fellow knight's tones. "Leave her alone, do you understand me? Don't you _dare_ go near my sister again!"

Percival chuckled. This was not the first time he had heard something like this. A few hopeful suitors had heard the like when they had let their intentions slip in front of Elyan. He couldn't imagine who would be stupid enough to try now, given that she was married. And the queen. Then another voice drifted through the door. "Elyan, please, just listen-" Merlin. That was Merlin. What had he done to Gwen?

"Elyan, calm down. Just let Merlin explain himself-" And that was Arthur. And Percival was certain he could hear Gwaine as well.

"What is there to explain?" Elyan shouted. "That's why Gwen's been so upset! You keep away from her, Merlin, or I'll kill you myself!"

Percival pushed open the door, and everyone froze. When Arthur, Merlin, and Gwaine identified him, they relaxed. Elyan turned back to glare at Merlin, his hand on his sword. Percival cleared his throat. "So, he told you, then."

Elyan whipped back around. "You knew? You knew about this- this- what he can do?"

"Yes. I've known longer than anyone, apparently." He watched him calmly. "Does it upset you?"

"Does it- Of course it upsets me. It's illegal! Magic is illegal! Every time it comes to Camelot, it hurts people!" His chest heaved as his glare travelled between the three knights and Merlin.

Arthur stepped forward. "It won't be illegal for long. If not for magic, I- and Guinevere- would be dead many times over. Merlin uses his magic to help us, to save Camelot. He told me-"

"Oh, _he_ told you! And you believed him? He's a sorcerer, Arthur! He's going to lie to you. He isn't here to help you, or save your kingdom. He's here for his own gain, just like any other sorcerer."

"Gwaine stepped ever so slightly in front of Merlin. "Elyan, listen to me. If I had asked you yesterday if you trusted Merlin, you would have said yes. If I had asked if he was loyal, you would have said he was more loyal than any knight. You've said it before. Would he fight next to us, lay down his life for any of us, the answer is yes. Has any of that changed?"

Elyan scowled. "Of course it's changed. How can you trust someone who's lied about something so big for so long?"

Arthur sighed. "I asked myself the same question, many times. But the fact of the matter is that he couldn't tell us. It's against the law. But this isn't something he chose. He's stuck with his magic like I'm stuck with my titles. He was born to it as I was to my position. He never told us, because he feared for his life. And because he expected responses like yours. He doesn't want his friends to hate him. Surely you must realize this."

Elyan stepped back, clearly confused. "You consider him an asset, don't you?"

"Yes. Who wouldn't? But more importantly, I consider him my friend, just as you have from the beginning." Merlin sent him a grateful look.

Elyan scowled, watching Arthur as though he might attack. "And what has he asked you for? A title? Lands? Influence at court? What are you going to give him?

"What are you on, Elyan? Did he barmaid give you _my_ drinks?" Gwaine asked.

"Can none of you see it?" He turned desperately to Percival, who only shrugged. "This is what he wants. How long has he kept quiet? Too long! He made sure none of you would turn him in, that no one would accuse him. Maybe he's enchanted you all! A sorcerer, friends with Camelot's king. Next thing you know, the magic ban will be repealed, and Merlin will be the Sorcerer Lord. He's asked for that, hasn't he?"

Merlin looked absolutely indignant. "Of course not! I don't want to be a noble, nor do I crave a nobleman's power. I would happily remain Arthur's servant for the rest of my life! I told him about me because he needed to know, and because I was sick of lying to him. I never even _suggested-_"

"Merlin, stop," Arthur commanded quietly. He rested a hand on his servant's shoulder and looked up to meet Elyan's eyes. "I do, eventually, plan to repeal the ban on magic. I've been considering it for quite some time, though I never told anyone. Not even Merlin knew."

"Or he's the one who suggested it. People are controlled by magic all the time, Arthur. And they don't even realize what's happening to them. You probably don't know why you want to do this, right? Just that you should. Right?"

"Actually," Arthur replied, still calm, though it was obvious that it was an effort to stay that way. "I have very sound reasons." Merlin moved to the back of the room with Percival, knowing Arthur would handle it. Percival joined him and squeezed his shoulder in comfort as Gwaine sat with his king at the table. "First, and most obvious, magic isn't all bad. I've been healed by magic more times than I care to admit. So have you and the rest of the knights. Having the ability to heal in a battle could only help us. Secondly, many of our enemies use magic. Going without it is like joining a duel without a sword. If we truly wish to match and defeat our enemies, we must have magic on our side as well. Third, magic could help with crops and craftsmanship, helping with our economy to feed our people. By keeping magic banned, we are only hurting ourselves." Merlin beamed, proud to hear Arthur saying these things. Arthur paused for a moment, and then began again. "It hadn't crossed my mind to promote Merlin, so you have given me food for thought. Although, after his outburst, perhaps I'll keep him where he is. Besides, his current position has served him well in keeping me safe."

The room was silent for a moment. Arthur sat calmly, though his eyes dared Elyan to object. Gwaine still seemed anxious, and Percival watched over the moment, taking in what he could. Merlin waited eagerly for a response. It took a few minutes for Elyan to speak. "How can you be so blind?" Merlin's smile fell instantly. "Magic is evil, Arthur. Look what it did to Morgana. Merlin is luring you into a sense of peace. As soon as you accept him like this, he will attack and take Camelot for himself. That is was Morgana did. That is was Agravaine did. Why do you think Merlin won't?"

Arthur's temper finally showed. He stood abruptly, leaning on the table to tower over Elyan. "You think I haven't considered that?" Arthur's tone was icy and harsh. Elyan winced. "Those closest to me- Morgana, Agravaine, Father, even Guinevere-" Elyan cringed at his sister's name, "They have all betrayed me in some way! Or did you think I had forgotten? My father lied to me about my sister, Morgana turned traitor and dragged Agravaine down with her, and your sister was found with Lancelot on the eve of our wedding! Why should Merlin be any different? Simply because he is. What has he done? Yes, Elyan, he has lied to all of us. But you know as well as I do how much that hurt him. Yes, he can do magic, though it was never his choice. Merlin remained in Camelot because it is his home and to _protect me_. If he wanted to harm me, if he wanted to take the throne, he could have done so years ago. Why tell me at all? He- no, let me finish!" For Elyan had opened his mouth to speak. "Merlin saved your life. And that of your sister. Consider that before you speak again."

The room fell silent once more. No one dared speak after that, least of all Elyan. Everyone watched as the King took a deep breath, and then began again calmly. "Now, I understand your fears, Elyan. I have had my own. But I know Merlin as well as I know myself now. If magic were not outlawed, he would have told me of it the day we met. Perhaps we would even still be in this position considering he was awarded the position of my servant for saving my life by using magic to slow a blade. But as for now, I know that he means neither me nor Camelot any harm. He kept his secret only because he truly needed to, and has nearly told me of his magic countless times before. It is only because keeping silent could ensure that he stay by my side that he did so. Not for power. Not for treachery. Merlin doesn't have a treacherous bone in his body. He remained quiet because Camelot is his home, and his friends are here. Because his destiny is here. And," he added as an afterthought, "if you won't believe us, you can always ask the Great Dragon. He makes a very convincing case." Elyan blinked a few times and shook his head as Gwaine snorted and Percival's lips quirked up in a smile. But before he could respond, Merlin stepped forward.

He kept his distance, holding his hands slightly from his body to allow Elyan to see his movements clearly to keep from spooking him. "Elyan, I am sorry about lying to you. And I'm sorry if I've frightened you. But I won't apologize for who I am or what I can do. I would never use my magic to hurt you-"

"Of course now," Elyan responded in a weak, dejected voice. "Just to get what you want. I've seen how much control magic can have over someone without them knowing. And because of that, you will stay away from me and my sister. Apparently, I can't keep you away from Arthur, but I'll watch you. I'll know if you're using him."

Merlin sighed. "Fine. I understand. I won't use him though. Not like you're saying. He'll still hear all I have to tell him on any and all matters, just as he always has. But… What has you so convinced that I'll do that to him?"

Elyan glared at him tiredly. "Why wouldn't you? The Druids don't seem to have any problems with it."

"What do you mean about the Druids? They're very peaceful. They try to avoid the knights as much as they can. When have they ever- oh."

Elyan nods. "Yeah. Oh."

Gwaine glances between the two men. "Oh? What are you talking about? What have the Druids done to you?"

Merlin spoke up before Elyan could get the chance. "They didn't do anything really. It was that ghost of the Druid boy. The one from the shrine."

"The one that possessed me. Or had you all forgotten?

"No, of course not!" Merlin moved a bit closer. "But that wasn't magic. Not really. It was the power of a ghost, of a spirit. Magic doesn't usually do that. I mean, I suppose it _could_. I did something kind of like that once. Only once though, because it was the only option if I wanted to save Arthur's life. And he knows about it. You can ask him about it. But that is the only time I've ever done that, let alone encountered someone else doing it. Not even Morgana has, as far as I know. That's nothing you need to worry about, Elyan. I promise."

"Oh, you _promise_. That makes all the difference in the world. Why didn't you start with that?" He stood. "All of you get out of my shop. I'm done with this conversation. And stay away from Gwen, Merlin. Do you understand?"

The warlock looked down at his feet. "I do."

"Good. Now leave." Merlin slowly turned towards the door. Gwaine reached out to put an arm around his shoulder, walking out with him. Arthur followed after telling Elyan in his cold voice that he was to attend a training session that evening. Finally, Percival was the only one left. The darker skinned knighted turned to his friend. "You support him?" Percival nodded. "How long have you known?"

He shrugged. "Since we took Camelot back from Morgana the first time. I overheard him talking with Lancelot about how he could use his magic to help."

Elyan rubbed his face. "I can't believe this. I thought I could trust Merlin. I thought I could trust you, and Gwaine, and Arthur. But you're letting yourself be used by… by a servant! A sorcerer! He's made friends in high places so he won't be killed."

"I don't think so. He made friends in high places because he's Merlin and he makes friends with everyone. He was your friend before you were a knight, wasn't he? Same with me. Lancelot, who knew he was magical at the time, told me all about this brave boy he knew who would do anything to protect his friends. Even give his own life. I knew that Merlin was someone to trust before I ever laid eyes on him. He didn't enchant me to like him anymore than he did you." Percival took the seat opposite Elyan as the other knight sat. "He's an honest man, Elyan. He keeps secrets to save lives. I think it's a fair trade."

"That doesn't mean I can just trust him. All I've experienced of magic has been evil. Why should he be any different?"

Percival sighed, then replied, "Because he is. He's Merlin. Everything about him is different. "He does everything Arthur needs, whether Arthur knows he needs it or not. I see a lot here. I've seen all that Merlin does for Camelot. If anyone here could responsibly use magic, it would be Merlin." He considered lightening the mood by mentioning a few of the magical pranks he had witnessed, but decided it would be best to keep quiet.

"Yeah, the King's servant-"

"Who saved your father's life. And your sister's. And yours. And mine. Arthur's, Gwaine's, even King Uther's when he could."

Elyan stiffened. "You once told me that Uther died at a sorcerer's hand. Merlin's?" Percival hesitated. "It was! He killed his king!"

"No! No, of course not. Merlin was trying to heal Uther. I asked Gaius about it. Morgana put a pendant on Uther that would take all magic used on him and corrupt it. Arthur brought in his sorcerer- Merlin- and asked him to heal the King. He did. But the magic was turned on Uther and it killed him. Merlin cannot be blamed for that. He tried to save the man who would have him killed."

Elyan scowled. "How am I supposed to believe any of this? If you were enchanted, you would say the same thing. Get out of here, Percival. I'll see you at training tonight. He stood and quickly began to work again.

Percival stood with a sigh. "Bye, Elyan." He waited a moment longer to see if there was any more to say. When he realized there was not, he shook his head and left. He started for the citadel, thinking about what Elyan had said. Maybe he _was_ enchanted. But it didn't really matter. Merlin only was his people to live in peace. That much was obvious. If Elyan wouldn't stand by the warlock, Percival would. And maybe that was what was so important about telling everyone. Now Merlin would know who truly stood behind him.


	6. Will

**Here you go, everyone. Got this one up pretty fast, I guess. This chapter is mostly a flashback, but it should lighten the mood after the last chapter. Enjoy!**

Gwainequickly led Merlin away from the blacksmith's shop with a light hand on his shoulder. "Just forget him Merlin. He'll get over it when he sees you in action, I'm sure." He looked up at his friend. "Besides, who needs Elyan when you've got me and Arthur? We're better than anyone else. Percival, too."

Merlin smiled a bit weakly. "Gwaine… What if he's right?" He turns to look his friend in the eye. "What if you're only fine with this because I enchanted all of you?"

Gwaine paused. "Have you?"

"No."

"Then it doesn't matter. Ignore all the 'what-if's, Merlin. I know that I'm fine because I like you."

Merlin grinned. "Magic and all?"

"Magic and all." Gwaine grinned back, pleased to see Merlin's mood lifted. Arthur, however, felt the need to bring the mood back down again when he caught up to them, all but steaming. "Easy here, my lady. Let's not go to war with that idiot just yet."

Arthur shook his head, grumbling. "How about a private vendetta? Can I have one of those?"

Merlin rested a hand on Arthur's shoulder, trying to calm him. "If anyone should have a personal vendetta, it should be me. Let me handle this, Arthur. It's fine. He'll figure it out eventually."

"I just hate how he's treating you. No one can treat you like that!"

"You mean blaming me for something that's out of my power? Getting irrationally angry?" Merlin raised an eyebrow. "That's what you do all the time. 'Merlin, I spilled soup on my tunic!' 'Merlin, how could Sir so-and-so beat me in that duel?' Need I go on?"

Arthur waved his hand absently. "Nobody can treat you like that but me."

Merlin sent a look to Gwaine. "Well, you could make up for this particularly trying day by letting me have the afternoon off…?"

Arthur paused, considering it. "How about partially off?"

"…What does that mean, exactly?" the warlock asked, giving him a suspicious look.

"It means you still have to get my meals and help me prepare for bed, but your other chores can wait until tomorrow. And you have to answer some questions for me."

Merlin nodded excitedly. It was a much better offer than he had expected. "What are your questions today?"

"I'll ask a little later, once you've picked up lunch for the three of us. We can eat in my chambers. Guinevere is busy this afternoon, so we won't have to worry about her feeling uncomfortable." He was silent for a moment, then rolled his eyes. "Well? Go on. Lunch isn't going to deliver itself. We'll meet you in my chambers." Merlin grinned and trotted off to get the food and Gwaine rolled his eyes. As soon as the servant was out of view, however, Arthur's frown returned. "I don't think anyone's reacted like that before. Not with him. He's not taking this as easily as he's letting on."

"You don't say." Gwaine shook his head a bit and started for Arthur's room. "Let go. Don't bother him about it. He's the 'suffer in silence' type. Always has been. He's not going to change that now. He'll come to terms with it on his own. Just like Elyan will eventually. You know as well as I do that if he needs to talk, he'll come to one of us."

"I know, I know. But I want to help him get his mind off this at least."

"Which is why you're going to ask him questions," Gwaine summed up. "Alright. What are you going to ask him about?"

"Ealdor. His home before Camelot. I happen to know that a friend of Merlin's knew about his magic, and I want to know how he figured it out. For a long time, I thought the friend had magic, but he had covered for Merlin when he used magic in front of me."

Gwaine let Arthur open the door when they reached the king's chambers. "He 'knew' about his magic? What, did he forget when Merlin left?"

Arthur shook his head. "No. He died not long after Merlin made Camelot his home. Guinevere, Merlin, Morgana and I travelled to Ealdor to help with a bandit problem, and Will died in the fight. He saved my life. I thought he was a sorcerer because someone conjured a twister to scare away the bandits. I knew it came from where Merlin and Will were standing. When he took an arrow for me, he admitted to conjuring to the twister. Obviously, Will cared a lot about Merlin and was willing to disgrace himself to keep him safe."

Gwaine nodded as Merlin pushed through the servant's door carrying three teetering trays. "Lunch!" The king rolled his eyes, but Gwaine hopped up to help him set the trays down without spilling. "Thanks. You know Gwaine, Cook seemed very confused when I asked for three trays." He paused to chuckle. "She was even more confused when I mentioned that the third one was for you. I think she snuck an extra dessert on your tray for asking nicely."

The knight grinned. "You were right, as usual, Merlin. They are training me. And what's worse, I think it might be working. I haven't stolen a meal in over a week."

Merlin laughed as he filled the goblets. "I'll be sure to let her know."

"What are you two babbling about?" Arthur demanded.

"Oh, um…" Merlin and Gwaine smiled sheepishly at each other as the warlock continued. "Cook finally got fed up with Gwaine trying to steal food all the time, so she's training him to ask for food instead by rewarding him when he does, and punishing him when he doesn't."

"Right," Arthur replied dryly. "Of course."

Gwaine shook his head. "It's not important. What's important is that we have lunch, and I'm hungry." He took the seat next to Arthur and picked up his roll, sliding some meat and cheese inside. Merlin sat across from them, enjoying the chance to eat with them as equals. It had been happening more and more often these days, something Merlin was very grateful for.

"So," the warlock began once everyone had started to eat. "You had more questions for me?"

Arthur nodded. "I want to know about your time in Ealdor. About Will."

Merlin paused, his goblet halfway to his mouth. "Will? Why?"

"Curiousity."

The warlock blinked and shrugged. "Alright, I guess. What do you want to know about him?"

Arthur shrugged. "How did he learn about your magic?"

"Oh. Um… Well… It was an accident, really. No one was supposed to see me. Will and I were already pretty good friends at the time, I suppose. He was half a year older than me, and I really liked being with him. I was fourteen and he had just celebrated his fifteenth birthday. No one in Ealdor knew about my magic, except Mother, of course, so everyone liked me well enough. As a boy, I had many friends, and everyone liked to play with me. Their parents would watch and encourage them to. Until it would get dark, that is. Some children were able to stay at their friends' homes, or stay out later to continue their games. But never me. Parents didn't want me around their sons and daughters that much. Maybe they thought it was contagious."

Merlin paused when he saw Gwaine's frown. "What did they think was contagious, exactly," the knight asked.

"Being a bastard," Merlin said through a sigh. "Everyone knew who my father was. I mean, having an unmarried man stay in your home, then disappear in time for you to start showing leaves little room for doubt. But that didn't seem to make a difference to them. All that mattered was that she wasn't married when I was conceived. So, I was a bastard. Because of that, as the day went on, the other boys and girls would be called away from me. Except Will. His father was a good man who was always willing to help Mother and let me play with Will. And Will was a troublemaker. So he loved staying with me when no one else would. Mother was a bit unsure of him as he got older, but she eventually came to terms with the idea that I spent most of my time with the village rebel. But I guess none of that is what you were asking about. It was a week after he'd turned fifteen. I was having a day where my magic would not rest. That happened sometimes. The only way to stop it was to use my magic. When I realized what was going on, I snuck off to my favorite part of the woods…"

_Merlin's day had been terrible so far, and it was only noon. At breakfast, he had caused his bowl to explode, and on his way to see Will, he'd jumped at some shadow or another and lit a small fire in the grass. He'd stomped it out quickly, but he had been spooked enough to head straight for the woods. Merlin had always been careful to keep his magic hidden, but this caused his power to remain unused. When it was left untouched for too long, it burst out of him and he could rarely control it. So he went to a place where he could at least try to rein it in. Merlin knew no spells, so it was all very instinctual. He acted as a channel for his magic in times like these. The magic would do what it wanted, and Merlin would only restrain an urge if it would be too big or too loud. That didn't happen often, so this little clearing worked well._

_Today, though, his magic didn't want to go unnoticed. He had already started a few small fires around the clearing, and sent more than a few sparks into the sky. He forced these small surges to stop, but then he tripped and caused a wind large enough to catch him a few inches from the ground. He reached out to catch himself just in time. The wind disappeared as suddenly Asti had arrived, and he dropped. Merlin sighed and and crawled to lean against a tree, wondering how long his magic fit would last this time. Once, the fit had gone on for a week. When Will had asked, Hunith had told him some lie about camping on the woods. The day Merlin had returned, exhausted after he large surges of magic that had passed through him, Will had stormed into his bedroom and demanded to know why Merlin hadn't invited him. Merlin had, of course, desperately tried to figure out what he meant until Hunith made another excuse for him._

_Now, he sighed and lay back. It felt like it would be another long one. Poor Will would have to deal with Merlin being 'sick' or 'camping' or whatever the excuse would be this time. Then he sneezed and lit another fire. He groaned and waved a hand at the flames, willing them to go out. They did, slowly, and Merlin sat back with another sigh._

_After a few hours of this, Merlin grew tired. He started to doze against the tree, wishing he'd had enough notice to grab a blanket from home before coming out here. He felt a small surge of magic and the grass below him stretched upward. Before long, Merlin's whole body was covered by a thin layer of grass. He smiled a pet the earth below him in thanks. Sure, his magic had sparked the sudden growth, but some of the energy had come from the earth itself. He was always sure to thank whatever had help him, wanting his magic-and the magic around him-to know how much he appreciated it. With this new, comforting warmth around him, he fell deeply asleep._

_He woke late the next morning, something he allowed himself only on days like this. As he stirred, the grass retreated, giving him to move. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, wondering if he'd done any damage while he was asleep. It had happened before. However, a quick glance around told him that he had not. Lucky. He stood and looked around for some form of breakfast. A slight twinge in his gut pulled him away from his clearing and towards, he noticed after a moment, a berry bush. He grinned, plucked a few, and thanked the bush with a light hand running down one branch. He ate until he was full, then returned to the clearing. _

_It looked as though it had not been disturbed in years. Merlin smiled and set up a small pile of twigs and sticks in the center. He waved his hand at it and a fire started, quicker to obey this time. He lay back, not too close to the flames, and started to relax. He was just beginning to doze when a voice carried through the trees. _

"_Merlin! Come on, I know you're out here!" It was Will. "Your mum said you're camping again. Do you really just want to avoid me that much?" Normally, Merlin loved the dry tone in Will's voice. But now, hiding in the clearing that he'd once told his friend was his favorite spot in the woods, he panicked. Will would find him. He'd start asking questions. Merlin would mess up and do magic and Will would discover his secret. Will would avoid him from now on. "Come on, Merlin! I just want to see you. I'll leave, I promise. But I want to see you first! Where are you?"_

_Merlin considered his options. He could call Will over, talk for a few minutes, then send him on his way- but he would be risking accidentally revealing his magic. He could try running, but Will had always been faster than he was, and he would definitely hear him. He took a moment too long to decide._

_Just as he stood to try to sneak off into the woods, Will burst through the trees behind him. "Merlin! There you are!"_

_Merlin jumped and turned to face him. He felt his power surge out of him and knew his eyes were flashing gold. "Will!" he screamed, suddenly worried his magic might harm his friend. He desperately tried to redirect it towards the fire, and amazingly it worked. Will was neither knocked over, nor thrown back. However, he was quickly backing away from the campfire that was now reaching high over both of their heads. Merlin panicked and held a hand out to it, silently ordering the flames to return to their normal size. "Will? Will, are you okay?" Before he could look around to check on him, Will tackled him to the ground, pinning the younger boy below him. There was another, smaller, roll of power and Merlin heard a loud creak in the woods nearby. "I take it that means you're okay, then."_

_Will stared down at him. "You controlled that fire."_

"_What? You must be seeing things. Of course I didn't." He looked away, finding it difficult to lie. "How could I have done that?"_

"_With magic. I saw your eyes. You used magic, didn't you?" Will's face was unreadable. "You're a sorcerer."_

_Merlin froze. "No. No I'm not. I'm not a sorcerer, Will." He pushed Will off of him and crawled back a bit, avoiding his friend's gaze. "I came out here to be alone. Go home. Please."_

_Will rocked back onto his knees. "This is where you keep disappearing to. You're not sick, or camping, or visiting family. You're coming out here to do magic."_

"_Will, please! Forget this! Go home. It didn't happen. And even if it did, no one would believe you." He looked up with wide, pleading, apologetic eyes. "Don't hate me, Will. Just forget you found me out here at all."_

_Will watched him in silence for a long moment, then burst out laughing. "I can't believe it! My best friend, clumsy little Merlin, has magic! Why didn't you tell me?"_

_Another creak sounded behind them, but Merlin barely heard it. "You… What? You're not mad at me? You don't hate me? You're not afraid?"_

"_Afraid? Of you? Hate you? Why would I hate you? This isn't Camelot. You having magic is so… It's incredible, Merlin! You should have told me!" He grins at the warlock. "I would have come out here with you. Think of the pranks we can pull! Can you show me something else? The thing with the fire was amazing. Do your eyes always light up like that? How long have you been learning? Can you teach me? Oh, come on! I want to learn."_

_Merlin surprised himself by laughing. "Are you going to let me answer your questions, or just keep asking them?"_

"_Eventually. After I make sure that you're not still thinking I hate you. Do you think I hate you?"_

_Merlin should his head. "I guess not."_

"_Good enough. Go on, then. Answer my questions."_

_Merlin paused, trying to remember everything that had been asked. "I thought you'd hate me because most people hate magic. I guess I can show you something later. Yes, my eyes always turn gold, but usually just for a second. I really haven't been 'learning' magic. I was born with it. Because of that, I don't think I can really teach you. I barely know enough to take care of myself."_

"_But the fire-"_

"_You scared me." He shrugged. "My magic defended me."_

_Will stared at him. "That's amazing. Really, Merlin, it is. You've been keeping it a secret your whole life?"_

"_Yes. People around here aren't exactly promoting magic. It's easier to keep it a secret. That way I don't have to worry about people hating me."_

"_So why come out here," he asked. "Why not just do magic at home? No one would see you."_

"_Well, that's not really how it works. I don't do magic. As much as I can, I ignore it. But, apparently, it doesn't like that. It forces its way out of me. When that happens, I have to hide out here so no one will get hurt. I mean, you saw the fire when you showed up. I don't want that to happen to someone, and have them get hurt." _

_Will considered it. "Oh. Okay. I suppose that makes sense. But from now on, I'm coming out here with you though. I want to see your magic. And I'm sure Hunith wouldn't mind you having someone to watch out for you."_

_Merlin grinned and swatted at his shoulder, ignoring a third creak from the woods behind them. "I don't need anyone to take care of me. You saw that fire."_

"_Which you admitted was an accident. You need someone responsible to keep you in check." He puffed out his chest._

_Rolling his eyes, the warlock leaned back against a tree. "When I find someone responsible, I'll bring them out here."_

"_Hey!" Will protested, deflating. Then he shrugged. "Actually, I'll give you that one. Responsibility takes up far too much time for me to bother with it." The two boys laughed._

"_I wonder if you'll ever change," Merlin commented thoughtfully when they had calmed down. "If you'll ever be something like… I don't know. One of the village leaders, maybe."_

_Will gave him a look that was clearly asking about his sanity. "Me? A village leader? Come on, Merlin. As if anyone would want to hear my opinions. Nah. I'll stick with tending my farm, and resting whenever I can afford, like I do now. Matters of state are hardly my concern."_

"_We both know that's not true. You have great ideas. And you care about Ealdor. I think you would be great as a leader. Matthew would support you, I think. He's overheard us talking. He told me that he thinks you're smart. He would help you."_

_Will raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you trying to convince me?"_

"_No." Merlin shook his head. "I'm just telling you that I think it's possible. I could see you as a leader." He shrugs. "Just forget it. I don't need you to have any bigger of a head than you already do." Will laughed next to him. "You'll probably end up as Ealdor's next busybody when Old Man Simmons dies. Consider that. You get to yell at the next generation's us. Yell at them to get away from your crops, and stay out of your trees, and chase them down the road…" As Merlin continued, Will's laughter grew louder and louder until it drowned him out. Merlin began to laugh again, and they only managed to stop when Merlin finally stopped trying to speak, both of them gasping for air._

_When Will finally caught his breath, he managed to say, "Now _that_ I could see happening. I could even get a walking stick like him-" before bursting into laughter once more._

_Eventually, their breathing returned to normal as they relaxed by the fire. Merlin smiled and closed his eyes, leaning on his friend slightly. "Hey, Will?" The other boy hummed in reply. "I'm glad you know. About my magic, I mean. I don't like lying, especially to you."_

_Will nodded seriously, leaning his head against Merlin's. "Especially since you're so bad at it."_

_Merlin opened his eyes for a moment to glare at him, then closed them again. "You had no idea that I had magic until I threw fire into the air. I'm not a bad liar."_

"_Yes, you are. I didn't know you had magic, sure. But I did know something was going on. Give me credit for that."_

"_Alright. Here's your credit. It took you fifteen years to even get suspicious of me. How's that? Feel better?" He wore a smug expression._

"…_Fine. I'll give you that one. But still, you'll want to work on that. You don't want other people to start wondering about you. I can help with that. I'm a good liar. I have to be, with everything I get into." Merlin shrugged in acknowledgement, considering all the trouble he always seemed to be in, and the trouble the two of them always got into. "I'll teach you how to do it better."_

"_I really don't need help, Will." But Merlin eventually agreed to it anyway. Before they could continue, however, Will held up a finger to silence him._

'_Do you hear that?" Merlin went still to listen. Footsteps could be heard heading straight for them. The gait was slow and limping, but determined. Merlin quickly waved a hand at the fire, putting out the last few flames and cooling the wood._

"_Come on. We can get out of here," he murmured, standing. Will quietly followed suit._

_They had just reached the edge of the clearing when a scratchy voice made them pause. "Who is that? I saw your smoke! I know you're on my land! I know you're there!"_

_Merlin froze. "I always forget that this land is Old Man Simmons'." The footsteps sounded closer. "Come on, Will. We have to get out of here. He hates us enough already." He grabbed Will's arm and pulled him towards the woods opposite the voice, but he stopped when he heard yet another creak, louder this time. Merlin turned quickly, searching for the source, knowing that whatever it was, his magic had caused it. Then he noticed the tree tilting and straining against its roots. It could have been natural, and left where it was, if Old Man Simmons hadn't shouted again. Merlin jumped and the tree gave a final groan before falling in the old man's direction. "No!" Merlin ran back, hand outstretched. He felt his magic surge forward and everything around him slowed. It was a very close call with Merlin shoving Simmons out of the way of a tree that hovered no more than a foot above him. The tree fell. Simmons was alive. Merlin's magic settled. The fit was over. He sat up and looked over the tree quickly. "Are you alright?"_

"_No, of course I'm not alright, you little criminal! You just tried to drop a tree on me!" Merlin pulled away, wanting a chance to defend himself, but Will arrived before he could. _

"_Merlin! Are you okay?"_

"_Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. I-"_

_Old Man Simmons stood, angrily reaching for his walking stick. "I should have known you'd be involved, William. I'll be speaking to your parents about this. Both of yours. And the village leaders. You almost killed me this time! You won't be getting out of a punishment. I'll make sure of it."_

_As he continued to rant to them, Merlin looked up at Will with wide eyes. Will winked and helped him to stand. "Of course, Master Simmons. Sorry, Master Simmons." Then he turned and ran, dragging a grinning Merlin behind him. Neither boy slowed until they reached the caves, a favorite haunt of theirs. They both doubled over laughing. "Oh, gods, did you see his face? I thought he was going to pop!"_

_They hid in the cave for the rest of the day, making jokes at Old Man Simmons' expense. Merlin showed will the few magic tricks he had taught himself, lit a fire, and found enough berries to feast. They slept in the caves-not for the first time, and certainly not for the last-deciding to allow Simmons to finish his outraged cries before they went home._

"When we got back, Old Man Simmons had gone back. We were asked a few questions, but we already had answers ready, and no one really believed that we'd dropped a tree on him anyway. My mother scolded me, of course. For nearly hurting someone and for letting Will find out. But I do think she was grateful for Will after that, because he did look after me. He defended me when my magic got away from me. We were best friends. But finally magic got too bad, and Mum decided I needed to leave so Gaius could teach me some control. I only saw him one more time after that…" He looked down.

Gwaine looked to Arthur questioningly, but shrugged when the king shook his head. He'd find out the whole story later. "Well, Highness, did you find out what you wanted to?"

Arthur nodded. "Thank you for telling me." Merlin shrugged and popped a small tomato into his mouth. "I appreciate all that you've told me."

The warlock smiled slightly. "I told you, I don't want to have any secrets. Even if they aren't intentional secrets."

Gwaine nodded, a grin slowly spreading across his face. "No secrets, huh? Then I think it's about time I met your lady friend in your magic lake."

Merlin and Arthur gave each other exasperated looks and rolled their eyes.

**And finished. Only two more chapters after this, unless you have some ideas for more characters to feature. Review and let me know.**

**Aralana**


	7. Leon

**Alright, ladies and gents. I'm sorry for such a delay. I'd like to clear something up before you read: Freya, if she shows up, will not be in this chapter. I just decided that she's something that Gwaine would harp on a lot. Also, thanks to the beautiful ****She Was Waiting for being an excellent beta. And now, Leon.**

Leon laughed as he rode next to Percival. Arthur, Merlin, and Gwaine were just ahead of them as they made their way to the swimming hole not far away. Elyan had begged out of the trip, claiming to want time with his sister, but the look he had given Merlin made Leon suspicious. However, the day had passed uneventfully except for Gwaine's attempt to get honey from a beehive—again—unsuccessfully—again. After a few minutes of laughter, the bees seemed to disappear. Gwaine clapped a hand on Merlin's shoulder, as though in thanks, but Leon was sure it was just to see if Merlin was laughing at him too.

Recently, Merlin had not seemed himself around the knights. Although, Leon thought, that wasn't entirely true. He had been fine all day, surrounded by the knights. Now that he thought about it, it was just around Elyan. The boy avoided the knight. And when the Queen was around, Merlin seemed nervous- something Leon had never seen, especially around Gwen.

He shook his head to clear it. It was probably nothing important. Maybe there had been a fight. However, Merlin and Arthur had never been closer, so it couldn't have been too bad. Whatever it was, Elyan was allowed to stay home from this patrol, and Merlin came without complaint.

Now that their job was finished, the whole group was heading back to Camelot, but Arthur decided to stop at a small lake on the way for a swim. Gwaine kept making remarks about a woman at the lake, which Merlin would either ignore or mutter something about a different lake. It hadn't made any sense to Leon, but Arthur and Percival seemed amused. They made it to the lake's shore and the king gave orders to make camp for the night. They would relax here, and be back in Camelot by noon the next day. Merlin unloaded his horse and Arthur's as Gwaine, Leon, and Percival did their own. As Gwaine watered the horses, Leon set up the tents, Merlin lit the fire and Arthur unpacked some food. Once everything had been set up to Arthur's—though, realistically, it was Merlin's—satisfaction, Gwaine hooted loudly and ran towards the water, shedding clothes as he went. Leon laughed at him—and at Arthur as well, when he followed. Leon joined them moments later at a calmer pace with Percival. Merlin sat with his feet in the water, but nothing else, as usual. He never swam with them. If he bathed on a trip, he made sure to be alone. He had explained long ago that he was just a private person. After a lot of teasing, Arthur finally accepted it, and everyone left him.

Today however, was different. Arthur waded closer to the shore, and to Merlin. "Come on. I know you want to swim. Come join us." His voice was kind, Leon noticed. He wasn't teasing. "I know why you don't want to, but you really have nothing to hide anymore."

Leon looked at Gwaine in confusion, but his friend was watching Merlin attentively. He turned back just in time to see the servant glancing away from him to give Arthur a look. "Really, I'm fine here. But thank you, Arthur."

The king sighed and looked to Gwaine and Percival, both of whom waved him on. "Look, Merlin. Isn't it about time you told him? He's the last of the knights who sat at our round table." Leon blinked as he realized they were talking about him. "We won't push you, but..."

"But we want to help," added Percival quietly. Merlin was quiet for a moment, and then sighed. He stood and forced a smile. "It's as a good day for a swim as any, I guess." He undressed quickly and waded into the water, self-consciously avoiding everyone's gaze.

Arthur smiled at him and Gwaine lay back in the water to float, but seemed to be watching Leon. And Leon could understand why. Merlin was covered in scars. The spread across his chest and down his back from what he could see. The knight forced himself to stop staring and gave Merlin a hesitant smile. Arthur grinned and put an arm around Merlin's shoulders. "See, Merlin? I told you everything would be fine. Swimming is more fun with others." Merlin tentatively smiled back, then yelped as he was suddenly shoved under the water. He sputtered as he emerged and his eyes caught the sunlight. Arthur must have slipped in the mud because he went under even faster than Merlin did. "That's not fair!" he called, when he came back up.

"Is too. It's completely fair!" Merlin yelled back, swimming away. "Percival? It's fair, right?"

Arthur scowled. "No, it's not. Right, Percival?"

The large knight chuckled. "I say it's fair."

Laughing aloud, Gwaine added, "Sorry your ladyship. Merlin wins this one."

Arthur rolled his eyes and grumbled as he moved to Leon. Merlin laughed and turned to face Gwaine. One scar between his shoulder blades caught Leon's gaze. "Arthur," he muttered, "what's the mark from? I don't remember him ever being hurt there."

"Nor do I, specifically. If you were to ask, though, I'm sure he'd tell you."

"Do you know about that one, on his chest?" For Merlin had turned to face them again, and a scar stood out from the rest. It appeared to be completely healed, like an old burn. The interesting thing however, was the shape. It looked like the two parallel lines crossed by another line. The design, almost like a brand in Merlin's skin, seemed familiar to Leon, but he couldn't place it.

Arthur frowned. "I have an idea, but I'll leave it to Merlin to say." He looked over to his servant and waved for him to join them. Gwaine followed. Percival hung back, but Leon could tell that he was listening. "Merlin, Leon is curious about some of your…wounds. I have to admit that I am as well. I've heard the stories, but…"

"But it's one thing to hear and another to see. I understand." He hesitated and glanced at Leon. "Where should I start?"

Arthur raised a hand to a small scar on the back of the servant's neck. "What's this?"

Merlin reached up to feel it, and Leon noticed that it was low enough to be hidden by the younger man's neckerchief normally. "That was where Gaius pulled the Formorrah out. The Formorrah is a creature that takes control of the mind of its host, forcing him or her to obey the High Priestesses of the Old Religion." Form the looks on Arthur's, Gwaine's, and Percival's faces, Leon was the only one who needed the explanation. "Morgana set it on me when I was wounded," he pointed to a faint scar on his torso, "and I was left where Arthur would find me. Gaius and Gwen discovered what happened before I could kill Arthur. I went after the creature to kill it—and succeeded. But I guess you could say Gaius gave me those scars." He rubbed over the back of his neck and over his shoulders over many other scars. "These… Well, Morgana likes to throw her enemies against walls and the ground a lot." He shrugged.

Leon nodded. "But, shouldn't the knights have been told about this…Formorrah? We could have protected him."

Merlin shook his head. "It wouldn't have worked. Besides, the knights really only got in my way. They tried to send me back to Arthur. I would have killed him if you'd succeeded. Although, in your defense, you didn't know the situation and I was in disguise." He shrugged and watched Leon warily, as though waiting for him to remember.

But Leon didn't. "I'm sorry. I don't recall."

Merlin nodded. "That's probably for the best. What else do you want to know about?" He looked down at himself self-consciously.

Again, Arthur spoke first. "What's this one, on your back?" He pressed lightly on the scar that Leon had pointed out earlier.

Merlin struggled for a moment to see it over his shoulder. "Oh. That. When Morgana came back from her year of 'captivity', I figured out that something was wrong with her. I followed her when she went to meet her sister." He glanced at Arthur who nodded for him to continue. "I was caught. They chained me up and tried to question me—I didn't tell her anything—then left me to die in the woods. I did what I could to escape, but every attempt made the chains burn me." He trailed his finger of a faint line across his chest. "I was gone for a long time before the Serkets found me. One stung me," he gestured at the scar. "It almost killed me."

"It should have." Leon frowned. "A sting that close to the heart, and of that size wouldn't have a cure. And Serkets never hunt alone."

Merlin hesitated. That much was obvious. Leon frowned in a spot of confusion as Gwaine rested a hand on Merlin's shoulder and Arthur gestured for the servant to continue. "Well…" he began slowly. "It didn't hunt alone. And I didn't escape from them, or the chains, on my own. When I saw them coming, I called for a friend to come and help me. I didn't actually get to finish the call, but he heard me all the same. I was close to death and delirious when he arrived. He scared of the Serkets, and carried me to safety. He healed me and brought me back to Camelot quickly enough that I was by Arthur's side when he needed me."

"Who was this friend?" Leon asked with a deeper frown. "How did he heal you? Not by natural means, certainly."

"No. A spell. But he's not a sorcerer."

"What is he then? How do you know a magic user well enough to call him friend?"

Merlin sighed. "His name is Kilgarrah. He's the Great Dragon. I'm his lord…"

Leon froze. "The Great Dragon? The same dragon that nearly destroyed Camelot? The same dragon that nearly killed me—"

"But he didn't!" Merlin protested. "I stopped him. I'm a Dragon Lord, Leon. I sent him away from Camelot. He wants to keep Arthur alive just as much as you do, so one day he may be free here. He helps me. You don't have to fear him."

Leon glanced at Arthur, who nodded. "It's alright. I've met the dragon. I trust him, because Merlin does."

The knight hesitated and watched Merlin warily, but nodded for him to continue. "I met Kilgarrah my first week in Camelot. He's taught me and guided me for a long time."

"And when he escaped and tried to burn Camelot to the ground? Was he guiding you then?"

Merlin flushed and looked down. Leon glanced up at Percival, who sighed, then turned back to the younger man. "Well, first of all, he didn't escape. I freed him." Leon gaped at him in surprise, and it only got worse when Arthur squeezed his servant's shoulder. "He… He'd grown cruel. I had stopped asking him for help. But when Morgause attacked Camelot and everyone fell asleep, I had no choice but to ask him for help. I didn't know how to stop it, and I knew he did. But, he made me swear to free him once it was all over. So I had to let him go. But I did everything I could to stop him. I found my father and tried to bring him back to Camelot with me—"

"Balinor. Your father was Balinor. That explains…" He let himself trail off, but Merlin nodded.

"When he passed, I inherited his abilities. I became a Dragon Lord. Since then, Kilgarrah has regained his faith in destiny. He's loyal to me, and to Arthur. You have nothing to worry about from him."

Leon nodded hesitantly. "Alright…"

Arthur smiled at him. "Thank you for understanding. Merlin, that mark on your chest. What is it? Is that… from the Isle of the Blessed?"

Before Merlin could respond, Leon was looking quickly between the four faces before him. "The Isle of the Blessed? Did the Dorocha do that to you?" He paused. "None of the others who were attacked had marks like that. But then, none survived, either."

Merlin shook his head. "I'd been to the Isle of the Blessed before then. Twice, actually. First to save Arthur's life, then again to save Gaius'." Leon frowned, so he continued. "When Arthur was bit by the Questing Beast, he was meant to die. The Beast can decide your fate. It decided that Arthur needed to die. I went to the dragon to tell him that he was wrong—he'd told me before that it is my destiny to protect Arthur—and he told me that I could still save him. Because the Questing Beast had struck, someone had to die to keep the balance of the world. But it didn't have to be Arthur. So I couldn't let it be Arthur. So I went to the Isle of the Blessed."

Arthur shifted, frowning at Merlin. "I don't want you to-"

"I know. But you weren't exactly in the position to argue. And the fact is that your life is more important than mine." Arthur opened his mouth to argue, but Merlin cut him off. "Not because you were the prince and I was your servant. It's because you're the Once and Future King. You're the one who has to unite Albion, bring…" He glanced at Leon, then continued with determination, "bring magic back. I can't do that. I'm here to keep you safe and alive so you can bring about Camelot's golden age."

Arthur sighed. "I know. But I don't like it. You're just as important as I am."

Gwaine grinned and clapped a hand down on Merlin's back. "I've been saying that since I met you. Actually, I've been saying you were _more_ important."

Percival laughed, but his smile fell slightly when he noticed his fellow knight frozen. "Leon? Are you alright?"

Everyone turned to face him. Leon's color had faded and his eyes flitted from Merlin to Arthur and back again rapidly. "Arthur, what does he mean, bring magic back?"

"Oh… Um," he replied intelligently, glancing at Merlin.

The younger man replied for him, tentatively. "Arthur is working to make magic legal again. Not right away, but soon. Is… Is that alright with you?"

The look Leon received from Merlin was pleading and hopeful in a way that was confusing. He paused to consider his answer, then replied carefully. "If Arthur thinks that this is what's best, then I'm sure Camelot will agree."

Merlin's face fell. "Right. Yeah. Of course." He glanced back at Arthur, who offered him a sad smile, then sighed. "I think I'll get out now, if you don't mind. Start dinner." He turned back towards the shore, but paused when Gwaine grabbed his arm.

"Wait. You're not being fair to Leon. Finish telling your story, and then ask him again." He waited for Merlin to sigh and nod before releasing him. "Alright. So you went to the Isle of the Blessed?"

Merlin nodded again. "Gaius didn't want me to, but I couldn't let Arthur die. There was someone there, someone I regret to say I'd met before. She poisoned me so she could get to Arthur that time, though neither attempt was successful. It was Nimueh, the High Priestess of the Old Religion.

Leon blinked. Now he knew why the mark looked familiar. The afanc's egg had it. "She marked you."

Merlin nodded. "I tried to give my life so Arthur wouldn't die. She gave me water from the Cup of Life for Arthur to drink. He was getting better, so Gaius and I…well, we waited for me to die. But Nimueh had tricked me. My life wasn't the bargain. My mother's was. I had to save her. I mean, I had to. And this time I was determined that my life be the one to be taken. But I took my time to say my goodbyes to Arthur and Gwen, and it put me behind. Gaius didn't want me to waste my life like that, so he left in my stead. I reached the Isle of the Blessed to see Nimueh standing—" He paused and took a deep breath. Arthur squeezed Merlin's shoulder lightly. "She was standing over his body. I thought I was too late. So Nimueh and I fought. She tried to convince me to join her. I said no, and she did this." He runs a finger over his mark. "It should have killed me. If I'd ever been found, everyone would have known that I'd been involved with magic. Maybe they'd even think I'd killed Gaius. But it didn't kill me."

Leon gave him a look that could almost be described as suspicious. "Why didn't it kill you then?"

"Magical attacks don't affect me as much as most people." His gaze was a bit hesitant as it met Leon's. "My own magic protects me."

Leon stiffened. "You- You have magic?"

"Yes, I do. Arthur's known for a while now. So have Gwaine, Gwen, Percival, and Elyan. Some support me still, some hate me. I'll understand, Leon, if you don't trust me…or if you hate me. Really, I will. But I hope you can…accept this."

As soon as Merlin fell silent, Arthur spoke up. "Even if your opinion of Merlin has changed, you will leave him alone. He will not burn for this. He has protected me, Leon. You know that as well as I do. So I'm protecting him now."

"And," Gwaine added cheerfully in an attempt to ease the near-tangible tension, "we all know he's safe. He's put up with Arthur for this long without turning him into a rabbit or something."

Percival grinned and Arthur rolled his eyes, but Merlin's gaze was locked on Leon. "So?"

Leon sighed, running his fingers over the surface of the water absently. "You have magic. But you've never hurt anyone with it?"

"Only when necessary."

The knight nodded. "I've see the benefits of magic, Merlin. The Druids saved me with the Cup of Life. And I'm still not sure how I survived the dragon attack—well, I wasn't earlier. I'm figuring it out now. I don't hold your magic against you." Merlin grinned but Leon raised a hand to stop the thanks that he knew were coming. "What bothers me is that you never told us. You've been here how many years. Six? Eight? It's a little difficult to trust a man who keeps one of our greatest tactical strengths a secret. Especially when you've been pushing against it for so long. I'll stand by you, Merlin. You know I will. I just wish you'd been a little more truthful."

Merlin's smile slowly faded and his expression became faded. "I understand," he said quietly. "I won't keep anything from you anymore. Arthur knows almost everything now, so you can ask him if you can't find me. I apologize for lying. But you can understand why I've kept it hidden…?" Leon nodded. "Thank you, Leon, for not, you know… turning on me." He smiled again, though it was much less enthusiastic. "I'm going to start on dinner." He nodded at them, then waded back to shore.

Arthur followed him, claiming that he needed to check the horses. Percival lay on his back to float, closing his eyes and drifting away. Gwaine, however, crossed his arms to give Leon a look. "You can't honestly blame him for not telling you."

Leon shrugged. "I don't blame him for that, so much. I blame him for never bringing it up when he could. We all know Arthur's had times in his life when he looked on magic with a positive light. After I was saved by the Cup of Life, I tried to tell Arthur about the goodness of the Druids, but he didn't want to listen. Maybe if Merlin had said something, he would have listened. But Arthur himself has told me of the times where Merlin encouraged the prince's, and even the king's fear of sorcery. It's as if he hasn't decided where he stands. That makes me nervous."

Gwaine sighed. "I know where he stands. I'm surprised you don't. He stands with Arthur. Behind his king, next to his friend, and in front of his brother when a shield is needed. His opinion on magic, as least, the one he tells Arthur, is whatever Arthur needs to hear." He dropped his hands down to his sides. "Merlin wants magic to be free. But if saving Arthur means condemning magic for a little longer, Merlin will condemn magic. Now he doesn't even have to do that. You can trust him Leon."

"I would trust him with my life. I don't doubt his loyalty to Arthur, Gwaine. Look, I'll try to explain it better to him tomorrow, alright? I don't want him to misunderstand." Gwaine smiled in thanks. "I have a question though. Why did Merlin think I would…turn on him?"

Gwaine shook his head, ducked under the water, then shook the water out of his hair. "Elyan did. So did Gwen. She doesn't ever see him anymore- goes out of her way to avoid him. And I think Elyan hates him now. I don't know how Merlin would have handled another reaction like that." Gwaine shook his head. "We're all doing our best to keep him upbeat. I mean, we all know that when he uses his magic to save Camelot again, they'll figure it out, but who knows when that will be."

Leon nodded. "Of course. I'll support Merlin, and I would be proud to help Arthur legalize magic. Don't worry, I'll be sure to talk to Merlin later."

Gwaine smiled. "Good. See that you do. If I find out that you didn't, you'll have me to deal with."

A smirk crossed Leon's face. "With you, huh? How much of a threat are you?" He splashed water up into the other knight's face quickly. "Not too good at shielding yourself, are you?"

Gwaine sputtered, then grinned. "Let's see how well _you_ do!" He launched himself at Leon, shoving him beneath the water. The mock fight lasted five long minutes before Percival decided enough was enough.

He grabbed both men by the napes of their necks and held them apart, but their laughter and struggles to reach each other only grew stronger. Percival sighed dramatically. "Merlin?" he called. "A little help, please?"

Merlin glanced over at them and grinned. He held a hand out and murmured a spell. Both Gwaine and Leon shot out of Percival's grip and into the air, ten feet apart. The shaggy-haired knights were silent for a moment in silence, then Gwaine burst out laughing again. Leon smiled at him, then glanced at Merlin. "If I promise to be good, can I come down?"

Merlin didn't act immediately, examining Leon's expression. Then he smiled, nodded, waved his hand, and Leon was slowly lowered to stand in the water. Gwaine, however, made an indignant noise. "What about me, Merlin?"

"You didn't promise to be good." The warlock shrugged, looking serious, despite the glint in his eyes.

Gwaine flailed in the air a bit. "Fine! I promise to be a very, very good boy!"

The warlock glanced down at Percival, who understood the glance and took a few steps to the side. "Fine, Gwaine," Merlin called when the larger knight had moved safely out of the way. "I'll let you down." He waved his hand and his eyes flashed that familiar (or not-so-familiar for Leon) shade of gold. Instead of being slowly lowered as Leon was, the magic that held Gwaine up suddenly disappeared, sending the knight plummeting to splash in the lake.

Everyone laughed when Gwaine finally emerged with a scowl. He started for Merlin, most likely to drag him back into the water, fully clothed or not- but Percival was faster. He gripped the smaller man's arms to hold him back. "Hang on. Don't break your promise to be a good boy."

Merlin grinned as Gwaine's scowl grew deeper. "What if I don't want to be a good boy," he grumbled loud enough for everyone to hear.

The king raised an eyebrow. "Then I'll tell Merlin to put you right back to where you were." He pointed up to the sky.

"Fine, fine! I won't throw him in the water!" When no one moved and he wasn't released, he added, "Or anything else. I'll leave him alone. I'll be 'good'."

Percival grinned and let go of him, ruffling through his hair playfully. Leon called over, "There's that good boy," using a tone that many would associate with a man speaking to his dog.

"Shut up, Leon," he mumbled. "I'm going to ignore all of you, until at least dinner." He nodded seriously and ducked under the water. When he came back out, he kept his word and floated on his back to avoid looking at or speaking to his friends.

Merlin, Arthur, Percival, and Leon all chuckled at his reaction, and there were more than a few eye rolls. Merlin and Arthur returned to work on the fire and dinner as Leon and Percival left the lake to dress. Leon could just make out a few snippets of the King's conversation with his manservant. "See, Merlin," Arthur was saying. "I told you he wouldn't care."

"But he does care. You saw how he reacted. He may trust me not to _harm_ you or him, but he doesn't _completely_ trust me." He glanced back and his ears went pink when he saw Leon looking back at him. "I'm sure he just needs to get used to it," he added, his voice even quieter now. "He seemed fine when I…" Leon lost track of the words for a moment. "…better sport than Gwaine, for sure."

"I told you, he would be fine with you having magic," Arthur replied. "And he is. We can cross other bridges when we come to them." He reached out and placed a hand on Merlin's shoulder, and the warlock's expression softened. Then, suddenly, Arthur seemed to realize that others could see him, and shoved Merlin lightly. "Now," he said louder, "is dinner almost ready?" The two knights, now dry and clothed, sat with them.

Gwaine's sulk ended not long afterwards, his stubbornness abandoning him in the face of the smell of food and fire. He trudged out of the water and, once dressed, joined them at the fire.

Merlin, who sat next to him, gave him one of his widest grins. Gwaine rolled his eyes, but could not help but return a smile, mussing his friend's hair. "You, Merlin, are impossible to stay mad at."

The younger man chuckled and shoved him lightly. "I know. I depend on it. How else do you think I've lived this long?"

**There you have it. I hope to have the next chapter up soon this time. I decided to write an extra chapter, so there are two more to go.**

**Aralana**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello, readers. I am so very, very sorry for the wait. I hit major writer's block with this chapter. So, I only posted the first bit of it. I'll do my very best to get you the rest of Morgana's chapter soon. Again, sorry. Thanks to She Was Waiting, and my friend Kate for beta-ing.**

"Morgana, don't hurt anyone. Just let me talk to you." Merlin could feel Arthur trying to pull him back behind him, but he tugged out of his grip. This would not be an organized, planned fight. Morgana was not here to take the throne.

"You've been a thorn in my side for far too long, Merlin," the witch responded, her eyes wild. "Why shouldn't I blast you into the sky right now? Make my brother watch as I take that which is most important to him!"

Merlin took a few tentative steps forward. "Because I have information you want."

A harsh laugh filled the air. "What sort of information would you have, _servant_? Arthur's favorite breakfast? His schedule? The queen's standing in the council?"

"No. Something that I know you want." He glanced back at Arthur, who shook his head subtly, and Gwaine, who shook his head frantically. "I know who Emrys is."

_Arthur climbed out of his bath after his morning's training. As Merlin handed him a towel to dry off, he considered the meeting with the council he was to attend this afternoon. It was going to be a good day. He was going to suggest the legalization of magic. Of course, the issue would take months, if not years to settle, but he had been seeking support since Merlin had revealed himself. There were a few men in the council-mostly the youngest and oldest-who would consider it, he was sure._

"_Arthur? I'm pretty sure you're dry by now." Merlin was standing by his wardrobe with an amused expression on his face. He seemed to be cleaning, not selecting the king's clothes. Arthur glanced behind his screen to see his clothes waiting for him. How long had he been lost in thought? He definitely _did not _blush as he set his towel aside and slipped behind the screen to dress. Merlin grinned. "Were you thinking again, sire? You know how dangerous that can be."_

_Arthur rolled his eyes. "I was thinking, _Mer_lin. And you should be grateful. It's only your future that will be discussed with the council today." He heard a loud clang as Merlin dropped whatever he was holding. Judging by the sound, it was Arthur's helmet. "Don't make me regret this."_

"_You're going to ask about magic today? Really? Arthur, thank you!" He heard his servant scrambling to pick the helmet up again as he stepped out from behind the screen._

"_Easy, Merlin. Nothing will be decided today. Most likely, nothing will be decided for years." He picked his towel back up to dry his hair, glancing around only to notice that a certain delighted warlock was stoking the fire and making the bed from halfway across the room. "Merlin!"_

_The younger man blinked. "Oh. Sorry. Sorry!" His eyes flashed gold and the poker dropped as the sheets fluttered to the bed. "Sorry," he said again._

"As I was saying_," he continued pointedly, "magic is not free yet, and won't be for some time. And I'm not just doing this for you. You know that, don't you?"_

"_Of course." Merlin pushed the poker away from the flames, then finished the bed his magic had started. "I just gave you the idea." He grinned up at his friend._

"_You made me consider the laws more seriously. I'd already been thinking about it." He sat at his desk to look over the numbers scrawled across a piece of parchment. "Get my lunch, will you?" He asked absently._

_He had barely finished speaking when a tray was set on the desk, steaming slightly. "I picked it up while you were in the bath. And I kept it hot."_

_Raising an eyebrow, Arthur asked, "Did you used this much magic before?"_

_Merlin shook his head. "Of course not. I couldn't risk you finding out. But now you know, so..."_

"_So you do your chores with your...abilities."_

_The servant rolled his eyes and gave the prince a look. "Of course not. When I'm doing my chores, I do them by hand, just as I always have. I prefer it that way. Well, except for mucking out the horses. But I do that by hand anyway." After a moment, he raised his eyebrows. "Would you prefer I let your food get cold?"_

"_No." Arthur started to eat, ignoring his friend's gaze. He had just slapped Merlin's hand away from his roll for the third time when the warning bells sounded._

_The joking mood vanished instantly. Both men abandoned the food as Merlin rushed to get armor and Excalibur and Arthur looked out the window for the cause of the alarm. He found out moments later as Leon crashed through the door. "Sire," he exclaimed, though he was staring at Merlin. It was clear that he had run up to the king's chambers as soon as his patrol arrived. "Sire, it's Morgana. She's coming."_

_Merlin visibly stiffened as he adjusted the straps on Arthur's armor. "How many is she?" the king asked._

"_That's the thing. She's...one. Just her. No armies. There doesn't even seem to be a plan. But she's coming for Camelot and attacking anyone in her path. She looks mad, sire. Completely mad."_

"_How so?" Merlin asked as he strapped Excalibur around his king's waist._

_Leon paused. "I think her leg is injured, but she's completely ignoring it, as though she doesn't notice. She was checking over her shoulders every twenty paces or so. And... She looked haunted. Desperate, even. I've never seen her like this."_

_Arthur and Merlin glanced at each other. The king opened his mouth to speak, but Merlin shook his head and cut him off. "No, Arthur. I am not staying behind. I can fight her. You know that now. I'm going with you. And you-"_

_Arthur held up a hand to stop him. "I know. I wasn't going to make you stay. Go get our horses ready. Leon and I will gather a few knights and meet you in the courtyard. Go." Merlin watched him a moment, then trotted off to do what Arthur had ordered._

_The king turned to his knight. "You're sure she's alone?" _

"_I am. When we saw her, I sent scouts out. There's no one with her." He glanced after Merlin. "Sire... If Merlin is going to fight Morgana, we need to keep witnesses to a minimum."_

"_I know. But that should be easy if Morgana is alone and injured. We can keep our numbers low." He opened the door and gestured for Leon to follow. "Gather everyone who knows about him. Not Gaius or Guinevere of course. Gather the knights who know."_

"_Even Elyan?" Leon rested his hand on his sword hilt._

_Arthur paused, considering it. "Yes. Even Elyan. We'll need as many with us as we can get."_

_Leon nodded, and gave a quick, "Yes, sire," before running off to find all the knights he needed._

_The king, meanwhile, made his way down to his courtyard, pulling on his cloak, to find Merlin doing his last check on the straps of Arthur's saddle. The warlock offered a small smile to his king. "Where is everyone? Your faith in me is inspiring, but a little bit of, you know, swords couldn't hurt."_

_Arthur rolled his eyes and shoved his friend lightly, grateful for the teasing. Without it, he feared he would start to worry about Morgana and what she was doing. But of course, Merlin know that. "Leon's bringing some of the knights. You know I have very little confidence in you."_

_Merlin grinned as he adjusted a strap on his own saddle (a birthday gift from Arthur the previous year). "Of course, your Majesty. I can tell." Arthur rolled his eyes again and pulled on his gloves as Gwaine and Percival led their horses into the courtyard. Before the two knights were close enough to hear, Merlin reached over to clasp Arthur's arm. "Don't worry. I won't let her hurt anyone. I won't."_

_The king looked over at his friend and nodded. "Just make sure you're included in that anyone."_

_The servant blinked. "You're not worried about _me_ are you?"_

"_I'm always worried about you." He grinned. "I don't know how you manage to dress yourself each morning."_

_The warlock raised an eyebrow (he had spent far too much time with Gaius), and Arthur realized his mistake too late. "Really Arthur? You don't know how _I_ get dressed in the morning? Well somehow I do. _And_ I dress you every morning. We both know you'd still be in your nightclothes right now if it weren't for me."_

"_Merlin," Arthur interrupted quietly as the two knights reached them._

_The servant cut himself off. "Yes?"_

"_Shut up." Gwaine protested and shoved Arthur, but Merlin was grinning again._

_Percival smiled and checked his saddle. "Is Arthur bullying you again, Merlin?"_

"_Yes. He always bullies me." He put on an innocent, wide-eyed expression. "I'm such a victim." He hung his head and shook it; Gwaine snorted. "Okay, maybe only a little bit of a victim. He looked up at Gwaine with dancing eyes before turning as more horses clopped into the courtyard._

_Leon led Elyan to the king, and the queen's brother glanced at Merlin warily. "Sire."_

_Out of the corner of his eye, Arthur noticed Merlin's smile falter, then fade. "Elyan. Good. That's everyone. I hope all of you understand that we are going to face Morgana. She is desperate and alone, but that makes her no less dangerous. She still has her magic, and her hatred of Camelot. And while we hold one advantage," he glanced at Merlin, "we are no more invincible than she is."_

"_If we must," he continued, "We will kill her. However, I would prefer we bring her back to Camelot for a fair trial. If I am to bring magic back to Albion, I must handle this carefully. I shouldn't allow myself to be seen as a hypocrite, killing one sorcerer and saving another. It must be fair." His knights nodded, though Elyan seemed to be glaring at Merlin. "We must try to keep her alive. Mount up. Time to go."_

There was silence in the clearing. "How could you possibly know that? You're just a servant-" her wild eyes widened. "The Formorrah. Emrys saved Arthur, freed you... How long have you known him?" She turned to Arthur, not bothering to wait for an answer. "Your 'trusted' manservant knows a sorcerer. Are you going to leave him unpunished?" The king did not respond, so she turned back to Merlin with a rough laugh. "His own sister wasn't safe. You won't be either."

"Don't push your misery on Arthur, Morgana. He didn't turn on you because you have magic. That was you. You turned on us. I did everything I could to help you-"

"You poisoned me!" Merlin could not help his body stiffening slightly. "There was a spell and it didn't affect me, so you blamed me! You tried to kill me when I had nothing to do with it."

Merlin sighed quietly, looking down. "You had everything to do with it. You were the channel. We both know what a channel is. I know you didn't cast the spell, but it was using your magic all the same. I hated it, Morgana. I hated myself. I want you to know that. But it was you or Camelot, and I had to choose Camelot."

Morgana froze. "Liar. I wasn't- I had nothing to do with the spell.

"Morgause didn't tell you about your involvement, did she? I kept your secret for so long. Helped you to find the Druids. Why would I turn on you if I didn't have to?"

The witch's eyes flitted between the men before her. "It doesn't matter. No more distractions, Merlin. Emrys. Who is Emrys?"

"I'll tell you. But only if you tell me why you fear him so much." Merlin watched her closely as more color drained from her skin. He had not realized that was possible.

"I don't fear him." But the argument sounded weak, even to her own ears.

"Please, Morgana." He took a wary step closer to her. "I want to understand."

"Why does it matter?" When she received no answer, she glared at Arthur and replied, "The Gaelech told me about him. He is my destiny and my doom. I've seen a vision; he is to be my murderer if I can't stop him first."

Merlin blinked. "Your destiny...?"

"And my doom! Now tell me! Who is Emrys?"

"Destiny... What does that mean?" He looked at her in confusion. "He's your destiny."

The witch scowled. "Yes. And my doom. Who is he?" Her voice rose in volume and pitch as she stepped closer, her eyes flickering a dull gold.

Merlin knew Arthur was stepping closer to stop him or pull him back, but the warlock waved him away. "He stands before you now, Morgana." She flinched and scanned each face, so Merlin continued. "He doesn't look the same as the last time you encountered him. He is not an old man." He took another step closer, forcing her to meet his gaze. "I am Emrys, Morgana."

The warlock and the High Priestess were inches away now, so he saw her eyes widen in fear. "But... You can't be- That's not possible!"

"I am Emrys. I am a creature of the Old Religion, the most powerful warlock to ever live. I am the last Dragon Lord. I hold the loyalties of the Catha, and of the knights of Camelot. I am the light to your darkness, the love to your hatred. I am your destiny, Morgana, and I am your doom."

There was silence in the clearing, all eyes locked on Merlin. Everyone but Arthur was surprised by the power in Merlin's voice, the authority.

The silence shattered suddenly as Morgana stumbled backwards in fear, tripped, and fell. "No. No. You can't be. I've fought Emrys. He is an old man!"

"I used an aging spell. I've used it before. Do not deny me, Morgana. How many lucky breaks did you have when you still lived peacefully in Camelot? How many 'unlucky' breaks did you have when only I knew you were a traitor? Who escaped the serkets, even when bound and left defenseless? Who knew about Agravaine before anyone else? When he died, he was after Arthur, and you of all people know I was there. Who emptied your corrupted Cup of Life? Who is always by Arthur's side in the middle of battle, but is scarcely wounded? Who was there when your sister fell? And drained your magic? All of it was me, Morgana. I am Emrys. I'm not hiding anymore." He knelt beside her, meeting her eyes. "I am your destiny."

"And my doom." The High Priestess was filled with horror. "Are you going to kill me?"

"No." Merlin could see insanity filling Morgana's eyes, and he wondered what more had happened to her. "Your situation is for the king to deal with. You are a traitor, and will be tried as one." He was careful to keep his voice even and gentle.

"And you'll just let the law take its course?"

Merlin nodded. "I will advise Arthur. Help him to make the right decision. As I always have. But what happens to you is up to him."

Morgana was still for a long time, long enough that Merlin glanced back at his king. "Why..." she began, and the warlock turned back to her. "Why do you hate me so much?"

He sighed quietly and leaned closer to her. "If I had to choose between saving your life or saving Arthur's, I would choose Arthur. Your life or Gwen's, I'd choose Gwen. You or Leon, or Percival, or any of the knights, you come second. But know this Morgana Pendragon: I _do not_ hate you. I've tried. But I can't hate you." He reached forward, ignoring her flinch, and took her hand in his own. "But you know that you've done wrong. So you must be tried."

The witch stiffened and jerked her hand away, forcing herself to her feet. "No!" That wild insanity shone in her eyes again. "I know who you are now. I will fight you. You can't overpower me, Merlin! I am a High Priestess of the Old Religion. I can-I _will_ kill you!" Her gaze flitted between Merlin and the knights. "All of you! None of you can beat me!" She held a hand out towards Merlin and started chanting loudly and sloppily, mispronouncing words and speaking them in the wrong order.

Merlin frowned and bowed his head, whispering, "Swefe nu." Morgana's eyes rolled up and her entire body went limp. Moving quickly, the warlock caught her before she could hit the ground, cradling her against his chest gently. He did not move, holding her and seeing the girl who had just discovered her magic; the scared, helpless, lonely girl. He sighed, and, so quietly that no one would hear him, murmured, "I'm sorry, Morgana." He remained where he was until he felt a large, comforting hand rest on his shoulder. Turning, he saw Percival kneeling beside him. A glance beyond the large knight revealed Arthur, organizing his knights and sending Leon and Gwaine back to Camelot to prepare a cell for her. However, the king turned to Merlin for just a moment to give him a grateful, sad, and concerned look before the warlock turned back to acknowledge Percival.

"Merlin," said the knight softly, watching him, "I'll take her."

The younger man was still for a moment longer, then nodded slowly and helped Percival to lift Morgana's body. "Be careful with her, if you can. I've only made her sleep. I don't want her to wake up in worse condition than she's already in."

"Of course." Percival walked back towards the horses. With Elyan's help, he mounted the saddle and settled Morgana before him, holding her firmly in place.

Merlin mounted and urged his horse to stand near Percival and Morgana, watching her as though she were his charge. As soon as everyone else was in line, Arthur led them back to Camelot.

Merlin went with Percival to the dungeons as Arthur explained to the gathered council how the attack had taken place. Or, rather, the story the knights had come up with on the ride home. After double and triple checking that he and Percival were the only two in the dungeons, Merlin muttered a spell that would cut Morgana off from her magic. Percival offered to watch her first, but Merlin waved him off, saying that he would rather stay.

The knight nodded and squeezed his shoulder, somehow knowing that this was difficult for him, then left. Merlin leaned back against the wall across from Morgana, slid down to sit, closed his eyes, and waited.

**So there you have it. Morgana part one. Let me know what you think so far. Ask me questions. Critique. Point out issues. Really, that would help tremendously when it comes to getting enough motivation to try the rest of this chapter again.**


	9. Morgana part 2

**Hey everyone. I****'****m so sorry it took me so long to get this chapter done. I****'****ve had the worst case of writer****'****s block, and school to deal with. But I finally finished it for all of you guys. **

**A quick note to guest user Marc: I like to reply to all of my reviews, especially when they make good points and criticize. I just wanted to let you know that I did know that that isn****'****t really Merlin****'****s destiny. However, I feel that Merlin think****'****s it is. He always puts Arthur before himself, and risks his own life to keep Arthur alive. And as for the clumsiness, yes, the writers have mostly written it out of his character. But it is occasionally brought back. For example, Merlin and Arthur both have their clumsy moments in the season five episode The Death Song of Uther Pendragon. However, I completely understand where you****'****re coming from. I just thought I****'****d explain my reasoning.**

**Anyway, here****'****s the story:**

When Morgana finally woke, her mind seemed cloudy. She had slept well for the first time in months, perhaps years, and she did not know why. She was not particularly comfortable with her wrists hanging above head. They felt quite numb as she carefully flexed her fingers. No, it was not comfort that offered her rest. Perhaps her surroundings would provide her with answers. However, her eyes did not seem to want to open. It took a few tries to finally blink, her eyelashes fluttering tiredly. She was in a cell. Another cell. And so soon after she had escaped her last one with- "Aithusa? Aithusa…" Where was she, her one companion?

"Morgana?" The voice was familiar, though it took her a moment to find its source. The crouched figure leaning against the wall across from her cell seemed as tired as she was rested. What happened to Merlin- She cut off her own thoughts. That was not Merlin. That was Emrys. Prophesied to be her doom. No wonder he had lied to her all those years ago, had poisoned her. He had simply known his fate before she had learned hers. A preemptive strike. Much like she would have done. "Morgana, how do you feel?" There was concern in his voice. He truly was a talented liar.

"Don't pretend to care for me, Emrys. I have seen your heart and where it lies with me. We might as well be plain." She sneered, her eyes darting around her cell. Was the darkness coming again? No, it was just a shadow. Emrys could not know about this weakness, could he? This madness? "Why go through the pretense of bringing me here? Why not simply kill me yourself?"

Emrys sighed, leaning his head back against the stone behind him once more. "I don't want to kill you, Morgana. I've never wanted that. I plan to help Arthur find a way to let you live." How convincing he was.

"No wonder you have his kind under your thumb. You have such a skill in lying. It's as though you have-what's the phrase? A silver tongue?"

"And you have a skill in ignoring the truth when you hear it." He sat forward, the boy who was so much younger than her. "Why can't you listen? Did Morguause enchant you with her words so that it still effects you now? Did she sell you some vision of you on the throne? Happy, safe, ruling over Camelot? They were _lies_, Morgana-"

"Of course they weren't. The throne is mine by right. I am Arthur's senior. The crown should fall to me. I would give freedom to those like us. Those with magic!" There was a sick pleasure in seeing the mighty Emrys glance around himself in fear of someone overhearing. "Do not speak of what you don't understand."

"I do understand. Me more than anyone. You want us to be free. But your sister did not want peace. Neither do you, or have you forgotten? You want people like you running rampant."

"People like _us_."

Emrys sighed. "No. People like you. Not peaceful sorcerers and healers and protectors. People who just want to live their lives. You want vengeful witches and deadly sorcerers. And you would only be enforcing your father's point. That we're all dangerous." He stood slowly, tiredly. "People would fear magic more than ever. The people would rebel and more would die, and you would be torn from the throne."

Morgana laughed aloud. "Who could take the crown from me? You? The mighty, all powerful Emrys? You would turn on your queen? You would attack the woman who freed you from your hiding place among the ants you serve now?'

"Yes," was the calm reply. "You would free only those with dark intentions. All of the innocent people who stood by and watched the executions out of fear would be killed, magic or not, simply because they did what they had to do to survive."

"I did the same thing, once." She shifted, hoping the man before her would not notice. "I hid away in Uther's citadel. I watched men and women be hanged and burned merely for existing-"

"And you would sentence those without magic to the same fate!" He gripped the bars of her cell and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I wanted to be calm for this. Just…please think about what I've said. I'll send someone else to watch you. I know you fear me." He dropped his hands to his sides and turned to go.

"I do not fear you, Emrys," she hissed. "But you should fear me!" She hoisted herself onto her knees and shouted a spell that would send Emrys flying against the wall, likely cracking his skull with force. The servant did not even flinch. Nor did the spell work. The familiar itch under her skin and heat in her eyes evaded her, and it only took a few seconds for her to understand. "My magic! What did you do to it!"

"I've directed it away from you for now. We needed a way to keep you here." He smiled tiredly, and she realized he must be holding out the spell on his own instead of tying it to a symbol or token. It was constantly bleeding the magic from him. "It seemed kinder than keeping you asleep the whole time."

"Kinder? What would you know of kindness?"

"Enough, Morgana. I'll bring you some supper later tonight." The boy- the pathetic, insolent boy-nodded a goodbye before turning to leave. Then he paused and glanced back. "Would you like me to help you to sleep? I can tell you're exhausted."

"No! I don't need any help from you, Emrys!" She all but spat his name as she turned away from him as much as her chains allowed.

She could hear Emrys shift, sighing, before walking away. Just before his footsteps fully faded, she felt her shackles stretch ever so slightly around her wrists. She could not escape them, even now, but they were less painful, more…comfortable, she supposed. What was Emrys playing at?

Merlin rubbed his face before stepping into the council room, taking a spot within Arthur's view. "Ah. Merlin. You're here." Arthur stood, interrupting one of the newer lords. "You can answer their questions better than I can." He hid a grin as he pulled Merlin to the head of the table, knowing how uncomfortable attention made him. "Everyone wants to know how we can hold the Lady Morgana safely in the dungeon without her using her magic on us."

"Oh. Um, sure. I mean, yes, sire." He straightened slightly and glanced at the council. The men who knew him and had seen him with Arthur were watching and listening respectfully. It made Merlin smile, though he hid it quickly. The newer lords to the council-older sons of their respective families, being introduced into the court-were surprised, confused, and some even seemed offended that a servant be the one to explain. And, of course, the lords who did not like him were sharing exasperated glances. So Merlin bowed respectfully to appease them. No need to make this any worse for himself than it had to be. "My lords, as many of you know, I am not just His Majesty's servant. I am also somewhat of an apprentice to the Royal Physician, Gaius. We've been looking into a way to hold sorcerers until their trials can be arranged and completed."

This was not too difficult a lie, as Arthur had asked Merlin not too long ago whether or not this was possible. Merlin had been researching it since. He continued, "There are certain runes, symbols, and materials that absorb or restrain magic. Gaius and I discovered a few of these, and have outfitted the Lady Morgana's cell with them. A natural magical deterrent." He bit back a small smile. That had not been too bad.

"How do we know these will work?" A younger man that Merlin did not recognize leaned forward. "Have they been tested?"

"They have been, my lord. Not twenty minutes ago. When the Lady Morgana attempted to throw me against a wall. Her magic had no effect." He did his best to ignore Arthur's sharp, yet worried look.

Another lord faced him. "And these runes are not of the Old Religion? Wouldn't only magic bind magic?" Now this was a man Merlin knew. He had supported Uther in everything he had done, and now disapproved of nearly everything Arthur had a part in.

The servant shook his head. "No, my lord. In the days before the Purge, some criminals were sorcerers. Those without magic needed a way to hold those with it. However, since the Purge, containment hasn't been needed as much, so the process was forgotten here."

The older man looked sorely disappointed that Merlin's answer had been satisfying, but did lean back and remained silent. Arthur stepped forward again, looking his council over solemnly. "Is there anything else you need to go? Or may I begin the preparations for my sister's trial?" There was silence throughout the hall, and Arthur dismissed them. Once the last had left them, the king dropped into his seat. "Are you really holding her without magic?"

"Of course not." Merlin refilled his king's goblet. "Things like that might work on a hedge witch, or a healer, but not her. She's a High Priestess. She's too powerful. I need my own magic to keep her powerless. We're just lucky no one in this room really understands how magic works." He smiled tiredly at Arthur.

"Ah. Right. Of course." After a moment, Arthur sat up straighter to look at him. "How come you're never that respectful with _me_? All the 'my lords' and the 'His Majestys'..?"

Merlin's chuckle was a welcome relief. At the moment, Arthur thought, the younger man looked as though he might be blown over in a breeze. "You have too many people to be that respectful. You keep me around to prevent your head from getting any bigger."

Arthur rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Oh, is that why I keep you? I was beginning to wonder. After all, you are such a terrible servant…"

Merlin smiled a little and nudged him as he bent to gather Arthur's papers for him. "And yet, here I am." Before Arthur could reply, he said abruptly, "Morgana's awake now, by the way. She's…well. She's not happy. I sent Percival down to keep an eye on her. We'll have to be careful about who guards her. She'll tell everyone about me…" He glanced around the room to ensure they were alone. "Some might even believe her. I've been convicted of sorcery enough times that it's a wonder no one's suspicious.

Arthur nodded slightly, taking his papers. "I'll be sure to keep only trusted men on her cell. And we should keep you away from her. It was risky enough telling her who you are. I don't want her to have access to you. Especially with you as you are." He gestured vaguely at the pallor in his friend's face.

Merlin could not help a small smile. "Are you worried about me?"

"Of course not." The king rolled his eyes and looked away to unnecessarily straighten the pages his servant had handed him. "The king, worried about a servant? That doesn't make much sense, does it."

The smile grew. "None at all, sire." He paused, then added more seriously, "I need to go to Gaius. We're trying to figure out a way to help Morgana."

Arthur blinked, and there was a long silence before he eventually asked, "You want to…help Morgana?"

"Well," Merlin shifted, "not _help_ exactly. Just do what I can to make her trial fair. For anyone else, for these crimes she would most likely be killed. But you've made exceptions in the past. You or your father banished them instead. Lancelot, Gwaine…. Even Gwen."

"But we can't do that with Morgana. As a…High Priestess, she has the power to come after us again the moment we turn her loose."

Merlin nodded. "Exactly. But Gaius and I think we can help with that. Give her as fair a trial as anyone else would have."

Arthur considered that before nodding slowly in return. "Alright. Get on with it. Her trial starts at dawn. You'll have hurry." The younger man was already on his way out when Arthur called after him, "And Merlin?"

The servant turned to face him again. "Yes?"

"Do stay away from her as much as you can. She's dangerous, and you're clearly not well."

Merlin shook his head. "I'm well enough. I promise you, Arthur." He waited for the king to nod and dismiss him, doing what he could to ignore the look of worry on Arthur's face, then turned and strode quickly from the room.

Morgana shifted yet again, moving her fingers in an attempt to return blood to the tips. A glance out the small window in the corner of her cell revealed it to be around four in the afternoon. Darkness would fall soon, here where the only light came from the measly torch and the sun in the courtyard. Sooner here than the rest of Camelot. Morgana had once reveled in the darkness, had done her best work in the night. But now it haunted her. Two years with only a helpless, injured dragon for company. No human companions. Little communication with anyone. It was only by chance that she had escaped at all. And Aithusa, poor Aithusa, was still down there in the darkness.

She needed to claim Camelot. Only with an army at her back could she return to save her companion. A drastic decision, she knew, to come here without a plan. But who could possibly have stood in her way? Only those with magic would stand a chance, and none would fight for Uther Pendragon's son. Or so she had thought as she stumbled through the Darkling Woods. Emrys had not crossed her mind.

And who was Emrys? This boy with such power-or so the prophecies said-and yet was so loyal to the king who would have him killed. Why?

Her gaze wandered to the knight posted at her cell door. Percival. She did not know him personally, and could not remember dealing with him. But he knew Emrys, knew who he was. And yet, he did not seem to care that the king's servant knew magic. For that matter, neither did the king. How hypocritical of Arthur to shun his sister for sorcery, but accept his servant; how cruel to burn innocent men and women while keeping a far more powerful sorcerer safe under his wing.

"There haven't been any burnings since Arthur came to the throne."

Morgana blinked at the knight. He had not spoken in the hour he had stood there. Now it seemed as though he was reading her thoughts. "What?"

Percival shrugged, watching down the hall. "The king has changed Camelot. People are almost never charged with sorcery anymore. If they are, it's because they used magic to commit another crime. And in those cases, Arthur punishes them for those crimes. So. No more burnings."

Morgana watched him for a long moment, trying to discover some reason for him to tell these lies. Did he expect her to believe that her brother was ignoring what their father had taught him? After all of the cruelty and hatred Arthur had shown her? "I know a lie when I hear it."

The knight was thoughtfully silent for a long time, then released a sigh so quiet Morgana was not sure whether it was real or imagined. "Apparently not." She did not reply to this-she was not quite sure how to do so-and silence fell again. The courtyard was already falling under shadow. Her cell would be under the cover of darkness soon. "They don't hate you, my lady."

Once again, the witch was caught off guard. "Has my brother chosen idiots for his companions? Of course they do. They all do. Because I am stronger than them and they know I can have Camelot whenever I want it."

Percival shook his head. "My lady, pardon me for saying so, but you're wrong. Yes, you could take the throne. You could take the citadel. But you could not take the loyalties of the people of Camelot." He finally met her gaze with his own steady one. "And you are not stronger than Arthur. Or Gwen. Or Merlin. Arthur has power here where he is loved by his people. The queen does too." His eyebrow twitched as he kept from raising it at her flinch at Guinevere's title. "And Merlin… Well. I've seen what he can do. So have you."

Morgana scowled. "Do not speak of Emrys with me."

This time, the knight did raise his eyebrows. "I didn't. I was talking about Merlin-"

"There is no difference!" she interrupted him. "Merlin is Emrys!" She paused as Percival shook his head. "You disagree?" she asked indignantly, her rough voice taking on a superior tone.

"I do. I think Merlin contains Emrys. He can be Emrys. But he's not always Emrys." He looked down the hallway again. "Emrys is the stuff of legends. Merlin is a man with friends and a job and a family and a life."

"How can you all be so stupid?" She tugged on her chains as she surged forward, though it was not clear what she was trying to do. "He truly has blinded all of you, hasn't he? He-" She paused as she heard booted footsteps walking towards her cell.

Leon entered her line of sight and leaned in to mumble to Percival, "Arthur wants to see you. Go eat, then meet him in his chambers. I'll take over down here."

Percival nodded and left without a second glance. Leon took his place, carefully avoiding his old friend's gaze. Morgana smirked. He feared her. "Hello, Leon." He ignored her, watching down the corridor. She tutted at him, appearing amused despite her unease at the growing darkness outside. "How rude. We are old friends, Leon. I know you were taught better than to treat a lady like this."

"I was also taught not to associate with traitors to the crown. I believe that takes precedence." He shifted his weight.

The cell was getting steadily darker.

"Ah. So now I am no more than a traitor to you. And yet you allow Emrys to walk free." She smirked as Leon turned to face her.

"Merlin isn't a traitor. You know that as well as I do." He crossed his arms sternly, eyeing her crazed smile calmly.

"He breaks the laws of Camelot by existing. He uses magic on and around your king. Or has he enchanted you too? I've heard he was powerful, Leon, but surely he hasn't everyone under his control."

Leon frowned. "Merlin hasn't enchanted us. He is loyal, Morgana. Despite the danger he's in. He protects Arthur, even though he's risking his own life."

"And killing everyone in his way!" She jerked forward again, her chains clacking behind her. "He tried to kill me, Leon! Before I had ever realized how terrible my father and brother are. He poisoned me! And he killed the king's advisor! The king's uncle!"

"Agravaine?" He frowned, his expression grave. "Another traitor." Leon straitened and moved closer to the bars of the cell. "Merlin has never stood against Arthur or Camelot. Not once."

As the last of the natural light faded from the cell, the madness grew brighter in Morgana's eyes. "Never? Are you sure?"

"Yes." He had no hesitation.

"Even when his magic ended your late king's life? Even when he murdered your king to put a prince on the throne whom he's had under his spell for years?" She grinned viscously. "How powerful such a spell must be after so long enforcing it."

The knight scowled and clashed the hilt of his sword against the bars before him in anger, eliciting a loud clang through the dungeons. Morgana jolted and cringed away, though kept her grin in place, however forced. "I won't stand for this, Morgana. Merlin is a friend of Camelot. A _protector_ of Camelot. Something you always wanted to be. Do you remember that? You used to tell Arthur, Gwen, and me all about how this kingdom could be made better and safer for everyone in it. That's what he's doing. This 'Emrys' saved Arthur's life enough times to prove his loyalty. Magic or not, he is the best thing to happen to this kingdom since before the Purge began."

The grin faded into a scowl at the protective tone in her old friend's voice and she jerked against her chains, ignoring the flare of pain in her shoulder. "And where was this 'magic or not' attitude while I claimed Camelot as my home? Where was it when I had to hide my strength and cower every time sorcery was mentioned in court? Where was it when I had to hide who I was?"

"Perhaps it was hiding with you. Merlin told us about himself. He's fought beside us. He's served us and shown us who he is. What did you do, my lady?" He shook his head and stepped back into his position, calmer now and chastising himself for losing his temper. "You kept your secrets. You befriended an enemy of Camelot. You made your father go half mad with worry when you disappeared. And when you returned… You committed treason, Morgana. You attempted regicide. What reason did we have to trust you?"

She recoiled as if she had been slapped, but continued in her rage. "As the king's ward, I had more to fear than any Druid or healer child. I could not control my magic any more than you can control how magic works. Some here, some there, all instinctive. If Uther found out, or Arthur… But only Emrys knew. He gave me hope of a peaceful life, then tore it from me. He pretended to care for me, then tried to kill me! Only now do I truly know how cruel Emrys is. You should learn from me, Leon, before he turns on you as well."

Leon only shook his head. Arthur had told him that she would not listen. Merlin had wondered if perhaps she could not listen. If she were to realize what she had done, that all of her reasons were wrong, what would happen to her? Would the guilt overwhelm her? It did not matter, Leon realized. Either way, she would not learn.

He turned at the sound of footsteps, his hand falling to his hilt instinctively before he recognized Merlin. He relaxed again and nodded to him. "Any luck?"

"Not yet," The warlock replied, glancing at Morgana, who sneered at him, her beautiful features twisted in hatred. "I need to speak to her."

Leon hesitated. "I would advise against it. She hates you, Merlin."

"I know." He sighed and turned to the knight. "But I need to try. She was our friend once. She was a good person." Merlin kept his voice low, not sure if he wanted Morgana to hear him. "And…I'm at least partially responsible for her. Please, Leon."

Leon frowned, but nodded. "Fine. But I'll be just outside." He paused, then added in a somewhat forced lighter tone, "And Merlin? Do be careful. I don't want to be the one to explain to Arthur what's happened to you."

Merlin smiled. "I'd hate to make you deal with him. I'll do my best." The knight smiled back, hoping his worry was hidden, and left the two sorcerers alone. Merlin crouched, then sat close to the bars, facing the witch. "Morgana?" When he only received a glare in response, he sighed and tried again quietly. "Morgana, I need to talk to you."

"And I am only here to accommodate you, is that it?" Morgana noticed that Emrys could not help leaning away from the bars when he saw her clearly. Was the madness so visible?

It pained Merlin, but he could understand what Leon had meant when he first announced Morgana's impending arrival. None of this had been planned. She had come in some desperate attempt to… He was not sure what she was trying to do. "Of course not. But I want to understand."

"Understand what?" she spat at him. "How far I've fallen?"

"No. I want to know _why_ you've fallen. I've tried to figure it out, and I can't. I know I pushed you towards the edge that day. But when you came back to us, alive, you said you understood why I had to poison you." Morgana blinked at the unexpected direction of the conversation. "That means that you thought about it. You had to know how sorry I was. You _saw_ how sorry I was when you came back to us. And you saw how guilty I felt, and how much I hated myself for doing that to you. But it was you or Camelot, and I couldn't let all of those innocent people die." The warlock paused then looked up at her to try to meet her gaze. "I know that you had no idea about your role in what happened back then. I knew it back then. Which is why I tried to make it painless for you. It wasn't a punishment. And-" He shook his head. "But you thought about what I did to you. I know you did. And you said you understood. So why did you choose Morguase? Why…Why did you turn on us so completely?"

There was silence between them. It lasted long enough that Merlin had to shift to wake his sleeping foot. Finally, Morgana spoke, her voice rough as it cut through the darkness. "You…accept what you did to me? As your responsibility?"

Merlin nodded. "Yes. I know what I did. You were the source of the spell, even if you didn't know it. I was forced to- No. No, I chose to save Camelot, even if I had to kill my friend to do it." He paused and tilted his head. "And yet, you're still alive to speak about it."

"Only because my sister knew the antidote-"

"Only because I told her what poison I'd used. Did it never cross your mind to wonder how she knew what antidote to use?"

The priestess blinked, her eyes slightly unfocused. "What? She- How should that matter?"

"I told her what I'd used. I knew she could find the antidote. I didn't want you to die, Morgana. I still don't. I guess it's no surprise that she never told you."

The silence returned. Finally, she managed to croak out, "You're trying to defile my sister's memory."

Merlin shook his head. "No. I just think it's time you learned the truth." The sad, quiet tone of voice made it difficult for Morgana to dismiss him.

"Leave me, Emrys." She could not stand it anymore. "You hope to change me? Force me under your wing as you did to the knights and my brother?" Morgana could hear her voice crack as she felt her control slipping, overwhelmed by Emrys' words and the lack of light. "You can't have me."

She heard a quiet, almost heartbroken sigh as the sorcerer stood. "You trusted me once. I wish you would again." Then he was gone. Leon took his place once more. It was only then that she realized Emrys had refreshed his restraining spells. She could not bring herself to care. The only light that remained was from the torch a few feet down the corridor. It was not enough. The shadows were moving. Morgana would swear that they were. Had Emrys discovered her fear? Was he torturing her with it? She would not put it beneath him, the lying, cruel man. She pressed back against the wall of her cell, tugging on her chairs. She could barely bring herself to care about whether or not whoever was on guard duty saw her like this.

Once outside of the cells, Merlin rubbed his face, digging the heels of his palms into his eyes. Why wouldn't she just listen? He knew that, unless he could find some way to help her, Morgana would be put to death at dawn. He also knew that, if she weren't so dangerous, her place in the royal family might have granted her banishment instead of execution. But her magic was too powerful to leave as it was. He sighed again, then started out for Gaius' chambers.

The physician was pulling yet another book from his shelves as Arthur looked on. The king spun to face his servant. "Did you learn anything?"

With a shake of his head, Merlin pulled another book across the table. "She refused to listen. She completely hates me because of what I did to her." He flips through a few pages quickly. "I did tell Morguase how to save her. I never wanted her to die." He shook his head and shoved the book aside tiredly, and Arthur noted that he seemed paler than usual, though whether it was because he was tired from keeping Morgana under control or something else, he was not sure.. "There has to be something we can do…" He was silent for a long moment as Gaius sorted through another pile of scrolls, then he straightened. "Arthur. We need to go to the library."

Gaius paused and looked over at the other men sharply. "No, Merlin. you remember what happened last time. And the time before."

"I won't open any boxes, or anything like that. Just the books. I'm sure there's something there that can help." He turned to the door and tugged on Arthur's sleeve. "Come on, Arthur. I could use your help." He ran out quickly, not allowing Gaius to protest, followed by a flustered king.

"Merlin, where are we going?" Arthur demanded when he realized his friend was not about to explain without prompting. "What happened last time? What are we doing?"

"There's a secret room in the library. I found it years ago. I don't think your father knew about it. There are artifacts. Books. Part of the Triskelion was there for a long time. But there might be something to help."

"Like what?" Arthur tilted his head in confusion. A room filled with magical artifacts in the middle of Camelot, and his father had left it intact? Merlin had to be right. Uther must not have known about it.

"I'm not sure. But Gaius doesn't have the books that are in there." The younger man grinned. "There's got to be something there."

"Right… And why doesn't Gaius want us to go in there?"

"Because when I first went in there, I accidentally released a goblin and it possessed Gaius. And the time after that, I stole the Triskelion and gave it to a thief. Come on. This way." He pulled Arthur down a long corridor, walking fast enough to move ahead.

The king blinked. "Goblin? _Mer_lin!" He sighed loudly in aggravation, knowing he would have to put any anger or questions on hold until after the Morgana situation had been finished. He only managed to catch up to his friend before he entered the hidden room because the sorcerer seemed to be struggling to reach a book on the top shelf, and was clearly upset about the shelf he was standing on. Merlin jumped, and the shelf gave off a dull thud, though it seemed determined not to give beneath his weight. He finally dropped off and knelt to investigate the bottom shelf. "Merlin, what are you doing?"

"I can't get the door! It must be jammed, or- Oh!" He pulled a very large and thick tome out and set it aside with a grin. "There." He pushed down on the shelf above him, the one he had been standing on a few moments before, and the whole bookshelf began to swing. Merlin released the pressure he had on the shelf, and the frame stopped, leaving a space wide enough for Arthur to walk through. "There! Come on!" Merlin led him into a large, but cramped room filled with shelves, parchment, boxes, and books. "Don't touch anything."

"So, how am I supposed to help you look for anything if I can't touch anything?" Arthur asked, looking around in amazement. If his father had known about this place, there would be nothing left to help them. Uther would have destroyed everything. And then there would be no way to help Morgana. Although, now that Arthur was here, he remembered that he had no idea what Merlin had in mind for helping her. None whatsoever. They couldn't let her go free. Not after all she had done. But she's too powerful to just keep locked up. What was Merlin trying to do?

"You can read the books I give you. And only those, alright?" The sorcerer waved a hand over a small stack of books, and they glowed faintly. This must have been a good sign because he handed the stack over to Arthur. "Here you are. Start with-"

"You do know that you can't give me orders, right?" He took the books and set them on a small, circular table nearby. He could practically hear Merlin's eye roll.

"Please, Arthur, I would greatly appreciate it if you might deem this one," he tapped a book in the middle of the stack, "worthy enough to start with." He gave Arthur a familiar look, a longstanding expression that somehow managed to show just how insane Merlin thought Arthur was being at the moment, and asked Arthur if Merlin had reached the king's ridiculously high expectations. Arthur nearly argued again merely for the sake of arguing, then noticed that the stack of books Merlin was holding for himself was larger than his own.

"Fine. But we only have a few hours before the trial. That's not enough time to get through all of this." Especially with you as exhausted as you are, he thought, but kept to himself.

"We can still try." The younger man dropped his stack onto the surface of the table next to Arthur's before mumbling what must have been a spell. His eyes lit up-something Arthur was still not entirely used to-and a ball of light appeared to hover over their texts. "There. Now we can read." Merlin slid into the chair opposite his king and opened the largest of his books, rapidly skimming the symbols and flipping through pages. Arthur shook his head and started on his own.

They sat in near silence for over an hour, only breaking the quiet with annoyed huffs from Merlin and questions from Arthur about some spells he had found. Merlin made his way quickly through his stacks, seemingly unfazed by the topics within. Arthur, however, was quite disturbed by a few of the things he found that magic could do. Every so often-especially when reading a particular book about various spells, potions, and rituals that would cause the victim to go mad-Arthur would glance at Merlin. He knew that the servant was a good man. That having magic didn't mean that he would use magic like this. But after so long seeing spells like these used against him and his family-some of them seemed remarkably similar to whatever had happened to his father when Morgana had returned after her disappearance with Morguase-it was hard to ignore the thought of what would happen if these books fell into the wrong hands.

His grim thoughts thoughts were interrupted by his servant jumping out of his seat with a cry of triumph. "I've got it! Arthur, I've got it!" He grinned at his friend, who stared at him in confusion. "Come on!" The sorcerer waved a hand and the rest of the books, including the one in Arthur's hands, returned to their places on the shelves. "I need to talk to Gaius, but… I can help Morgana." Arthur stood to follow, still completely unsure about what Merlin really meant.

It was nearly dawn, based on the light just beginning to stream through the bars of Morgana's cell's window. That meant it was nearly time for her trial. Her rigged trial. The witch scoffed. She knew how this would go. She knew that everyone had already decided what to do with her. She knew her cruel brother had already given in to Emrys' desire to see her killed. She knew her death would be far from painless. After all the damage she had done, no one would be merciful. Especially not Emrys, despite his attempts to pretend for her, despite his claims of mercy.

Merlin had always been kind and goodhearted, a part of her thought. A part she had not been able to silence since the great sorcerer had spoken to her. And she knew it was true. He had been kind. He had saved Mordred's life as a boy. Had led her to the Druids when she needed help. But he had lied to her. He could have helped her himself, taught her himself, but instead he sent her out where she was attacked by Serkets. He led Arthur to slaughter innocent people. He had tried to kill her, poison her- But he said he had known she'd be saved. That he had only tried to save Camelot- But why not save her? Why hadn't he saved her?

These questions had been swimming through her thoughts all night. The madness that accompanied the darkness of late had pushed and pulled at her since Emrys had left her last, swinging her from recollections of Merlin before all of this began, back when they had been friends, to memories of fighting the Old Man she had found in her cottage. Remembrances of kindness, and of lies. It was impossible to keep them straight in her mind.

Voices filtered into the cell, pushing through her disjointed thoughts. "…leaving you alone with her." That was Gwaine. When had he taken over as guard?

"I don't expect you to. But I need to get in there." Merlin. That was Merlin. No, Emrys. Emrys was back again. What fresh torture did he have for her now, now before the fixed trial and inevitable execution? She heard Gwaine sigh and the door to her cell was unlocked for Emrys to step inside.

The man looked even more exhausted than he had when she had seen him last, if that were possible, but there was a hint of elation in his expression. Was her fate already decided? Was her punishment particularly cruel? It was the only explanation her strained mind could come up with for his apparent happiness. She pushed away any thoughts that crept up, thoughts of a younger Merlin, always willing to offer a hand in one way or another. She couldn't afford to acknowledge that past. Not now when her Doom was before her. It took a moment to realize that he had been speaking. It took effort to focus on his words.

"…really don't want to see you hanged or burned. Everyone knows that if it weren't for your magic, your royal and noble blood would probably buy your life, whether in prison or banished. But you would still be alive. I've been searching all night, and I've found a way." Merlin knelt before her and pulled a large gem from his pocket. It rested in his palm, nearly reaching from the heel to the first knuckle of his longest finger, and he offered it to her to look at. Even with his slow movements, however, she could not help but flinch slightly away before focusing on it. The stone was a crystal, clear and whole with no cracks along the surface or inside. It was an impressive gem. Merlin sighed quietly when he saw how tense his old friend remained. "Please, Morgana. I won't hurt you. I promise. I'm trying to help you." There was a quiet grumble from outside the cell-no doubt Gwaine was opposed to the 'help' Morgana was to receive-and Merlin sent a silent glance, nearly a glare, behind him. The knight sighed quietly and said no more. The sorcerer turned back to the Priestess, offering the stone once more. "Place your hand on it, Morgana." When she did not move, he reached slowly to take her wrist gently. If he noticed how cold her skin was, or how much she trembled, he hid it well behind his calm, compassionate smile. He gently placed her palm over the crystal.

She wanted to pull away. Wanted to curse him and deny his company and ignore what must be false kindness. But she could not. Her mint green eyes met his blue gaze, turned the color of ice in the dawn light, and held. There was no sign of deceit there. No spark of mischief. If anything, there was an apology hidden in his expression. "What…" she finally managed to ask, her voice small and hesitant. "What are you doing?" His whole demeanor was both unnerving and comforting. She did not know how to respond to him, to this.

The cruel, mighty, all powerful Emrys only smiled sadly at her. "I'm saving your life." Morgana was not sure how she managed to keep from pulling back when the young man-yet wise beyond his years-leaned forward to kiss her temple gently, as a parent might do to comfort their child, or a brother might to soothe a sister. "I can only hope that one day you will be able to forgive me. For this, and for everything else."

She watched him, no longer trying to hide her fear. His countenance was one of peaceful concentration, but this did not soothe her. His mumbled spell fell around her, his voice as soft and gentle as the hand holding hers to the gem. She could easily pull away if she wanted to. But she did not. Could not. This was important. Whatever was happening now was essential. She could feel it in the air around them. Did Emrys feel this all the time? This…call from destiny?

It was only when she felt the first effects of the enchantment, that first tug, that she realized what he was doing. She screamed.

Arthur stood before the council as they waited for Morgana to be brought before them. Merlin only stood a few paces away, but the king knew the servant-and the physician standing beside him-would be the center of attention soon enough. Merlin was still pale, and the bags under his eyes were more pronounced than they had been the day before, but all the same, the man seemed healthier than he had all night. While he was clearly still tired, it was no longer the exhaustion that had weighed down on him and made Arthur worry. He was at ease.

The king could also tell that his council had already reached a decision about Morgana. Guinevere was glancing between Arthur and Merlin, astute as always, sensing that something had changed. Her husband could not, however, tell if there was any suspicion in her gaze as she watched the servant. Finally, Arthur cleared his throat, ready to explain to his wife and his council the changes in situation. He was interrupted, however, as the doors to the hall were pushed open and Morgana was led in. Or, rather, was carried, Arthur thought. It was clear that his sister was weak and dazed, but even in this state he could tell that her mind was clearer than it had been when they caught her. Her pale cheeks had more color in them than he had seen in years. Whatever horror and turmoil had possessed her seemed to have faded away, leaving his sister kneeling before the castle, the sorceress long gone. He wondered just what Merlin had done to take that madness away, or perhaps if this was some new clarity at seeing that her old friends in Camelot truly wished no harm on her.

He cleared his throat once more, and the council-whose attentions had shifted to Morgana-turned to face him again. "I must inform all of you that there has been a crucial change to the circumstances of the Lady Morgana's trial. As you know, Morgana Pendragon has been arrested and charged with high treason and sorcery. However, I believe I can safely say that she has already been thoroughly punished for her sorcery." An audible murmur started amongst the council, and Guinevere's eyes widened. Arthur could tell by her searching glances that she was wondering if her husband had somehow been enchanted. He continued firmly, speaking over the babble, "I leave it to the Royal Physician, Gaius, and Merlin, his apprentice, to explain." He sat next to his wife, taking her hand beneath the table gently and rubbing her knuckles in a small attempt to ease her worry.

Merlin stepped forward with a sense of confidence, one Arthur was getting more and more used to, one that he had missed this past night. "The Lady Morgana," he began, "is no longer a threat to us. Her greatest weapon against Camelot in the past has been her magic. But Gaius and I were able to find a way to take away this weapon. He paused a moment to let that sink in. No magic. Morgana had no magic. He opened his mouth to continue, but was cut off by one of the older lords.

"How is that possible? I was under the impression that something like that was impossible, especially without magic."

Merlin looked to Gaius, who stepped forward. "As many of you know, the lady is more than just a sorceress. She is a High Priestess of the Old Religion. This gives her more power, true, but also requires her magic be guided by other rules. We found an old scroll in the archives with a ritual-pagan, yes, but not magical-that can remove magic. The ritual, sadly, only works with people in the lady Morgana's position."

As the only one looking at his sister, Arthur was the only one to see the slight twitch of Morgana's lips at the lies. Would she speak? Would she tell everyone about Merlin's magic? Would she tell them how Merlin had used his own magic to lure hers into the crystal that was now hidden away somewhere not even Arthur knew? Would she tell of how Merlin had discovered this ability from the notes of Cornelius Sigan? Arthur glanced sharply, and somewhat fearfully, at Merlin, wondering if the servant had considered this.

But the younger man did not notice. Instead, he walked over to stand next to Morgana, where she knelt before them. The eyes of every council member, lords and ladies alike, followed him, then locked on Morgana as they processed what they had been told. Merlin murmured quietly to the former witch, though it was just loud enough for the council to hear him. "Tell them, Morgana."

There was a long silence, then her dark curls surged as she nodded. When she spoke, her voice was raw. Merlin had told him that she had screamed through the whole process of taking her magic. It was evident. "My magic is gone. All…" She paused, blinking a few times, then continued, "All of it. I can no more cast a spell than I can fly." She glanced up at Merlin, who nodded slightly. "I- I feel so empty…" Arthur hoped no one else would see the way Merlin paled ever so slightly with- what was it? Guilt? He had done everything he possibly could to help her, to save her, and he still felt responsibility for her. Or was it understanding, Arthur wondered. Empathy, perhaps? Fear? What would Merlin be going through if it had been his magic taken away.

Arthur glanced around at the council. "I think it's safe to say that this must be taken into consideration. Shall we begin?" He nodded a dismissal to Merlin and Gaius, who took their places, Merlin in the back of the room and Gaius at their table. The trial had begun.

As the council members slowly left the room, talking amongst themselves, and as Morgana was led away, Merlin approached Arthur. "Thank you."

"For what? I didn't do anything. The council made this decision, not me." He stood and led Merlin to the door.

"Maybe. But you let me try to help her. And you made the trial fair for her, not biased on account of her magic. You kept it fair. At least, for the most part." He smiled a bit. "So thank you."

Arthur nodded in reply, silently considering what this meant to his friend. It was not something that he had thought about before, but that Merlin clearly had. A trial for a sorcerer that had pushed magic aside and ignored it. She had been tried as a normal person. A royal and traitor, but not a sorcerer.

After a moment of quiet reflection, Merlin looked up at his friend again. "I'd like to see Morgana again before she goes. If she'll see me." The king glanced at him, then nodded once before taking the turn that would lead them down to the dungeons where Morgana was being held temporarily. Merlin trotted after him. "Gaius found some of her old traveling clothes. Just in case. He'll probably bring them to her soon-"

"Merlin," Arthur interrupted, glancing at him again and unable to hide a small frown. "Tell me why. Why did you do all of this? I understand that you didn't want her killed. Neither did I, I think. But everything that you did for her… You were making yourself ill last night, containing her and her magic. And I saw how tired you were after you took her magic. Not to mention how obviously you didn't like doing it. _And_ I know that you and Morgana are, what, destined to kill each other? Something like that. So why did you try so hard?"

"Well, it's not so much that we're destined to kill each other, for one. There's some prophecy that says I-that is, Emrys- is her destiny and her doom. I like to think that maybe destiny is more accurate than doom. Either way, that's why I thought I could save her. Why I had to try. If I'm supposed to be her doom, then her death would be on my hands, not the council's. Not to mention that I'm partially responsible for what she became. But by taking her magic-and a few other spells left behind-I've changed her destiny. I'm less likely to have to face her again, so I may not have to be her 'doom'." Merlin glanced at his friend, seeking understanding. "Does that make sense?"

"I think…" Arthur said thoughtfully as they reached the guards at the beginnings of the cells.

Morgana was perched on the bed, staring out the window of her small, temporary prison. When she heard the approaching foot steps stop at her door, she quietly asked, "May we speak privately? Or must the guards listen in?" Arthur, after checking with Merlin with a glance, sent the guards away, instructing them to find Gaius. Then he waited in silence as his sister turned to face him. It was incredible, the change that had come over her since her capture. The madness was gone from her eyes. She sat straighter, and despite the rags she wore and the dark circles beneath her eyes, she looked more like the Morgana Arthur had grown up with than she had in years. She raised an eyebrow at her brother's silence. "I suppose I should thank you, brother dear."

"Thank me?" It was odd to see her this way, to speak with her and ignore the damage she had done.

"Yes, Arthur. Thank you. For not executing me on principle, as Uther would have done. For giving Merlin the benefit of the doubt. It appears that there was more to this than any of us knew." She turned to Merlin, and Arthur followed her gaze.

Merlin shifted his weight. "Well, it seemed that Morguase left a little magic behind when she died. A very dark spell. One used to keep Morgana loyal and under control. But since Morguase died, there was no one to maintain the spell. It's been decaying, slowly driving her mad. Combined with her recent isolation..." He glances at Morgana.

"I was held captive for the past year. No human contact," she explained to her brother before motioning for Merlin to continue.

"It wasn't a good combination. When I took her magic, I felt the spell. It corrupted her and her magic. So I tried to-and succeeded in-removing the spell."

Arthur frowned slightly and glanced between them, trying to understand. "So she didn't have a choice?"

"No, Arthur. I had a choice. I was...pushed. Compelled. Heavily influenced. But it was still my choice, ultimately. I deserve far more than banishment." The Priestess looked down at her hands for a moment before her lips quirked in a smile. "It seems to me, Emrys, that the prophecy has been actualized."

Arthur saw Merlin tilt his head before asking, "How do you mean?"

"My destiny and my doom. You've stripped away what my sister left. You've destroyed what I thought I knew. Eliminated quite a bit of my persona. So you were my doom." She looked up at him. "But you did save my life. You hold my magic. You are responsible for it. And so, you are my destiny."

It did not make much sense to the king, but Merlin was smiling. "I guess so. I hope that's the case." The younger man held a hand through the bars of Morgana's cell, and she stood to clasp it. They smiled at each other, neither saying a word. Arthur began to wonder if maybe this was some sort of sorcerer thing, when he noticed the slight incline of his sister's head, and how her eyes were wider in-was that wonder? Surprise? Merlin's smile grew and he nodded slightly before squeezing her hand and pulling away. "Try seeking out the Druids. They should be able to sense that your magic is gone. If you can, find Iseldir. I trust him. And give them this." He gestured absently and gold overtook the blue in his eyes. When he held his hand out to her again, it held a piece of parchment. "I wrote this earlier, just in case. I was worried it was just wishful thinking, but evidently not. It's just an explanation of what I've done to help you, and an encouragement for them to do the same. I've also left a magical signature, so they'll know it wasn't forged." He paused, then added sheepishly, "It took me a few tries."

Morgana smirked, though it was nearly unrecognizable. It was more superior than haughty, and more amused than superior. It was a look Arthur knew from growing up with her. It was a common countenance, worn when the young Morgana felt she had beaten or outsmarted Arthur-which she apparently felt happened quite often. "For a magical savior, you really have very little magical knowledge. Or experience."

Merlin shrugged and his ears turned pink. "There aren't too many chances to learn here in Camelot. Not yet, anyway." He turned to smile at Arthur. "Soon though."

Arthur smiled back. "I hope so."

Morgana watched the exchange with worried interest. "You really are going to do it. You're going to free magic."

"I am." Arthur returned his gaze to his sister. "I was going to announce it to the council yesterday, but a certain High Priestess caused our meeting to be cancelled."

"A half mad High Priestess," Merlin protested. "A mostly unarmed Priestess." Arthur rolled his eyes. "Well, magic, but that's why I said mostly."

"Shut up, Merlin," Arthur ordered, shaking his head in exasperation. The sorcerer grinned, then presses his lips together in a universal expression of silence.

Morgana could not help the small smile that crept on to her face. It was not an expression she had used in quite some time. "Is that how you treat the man who's saved your life? And mine?"

"Yes, of course," he replied haughtily, though it was clear to everyone that he was mocking himself. "He's my servant, isn't he? And of course he couldn't have saved my life, Morgana. He'd need magic to do that. And magic is illegal here."

She rolled her eyes. "Of course." She looked as though she wanted to say more, but paused at the sound of approaching footsteps.

Moments later, Gaius reached them, holding a bundle in his arms. He handed it to Merlin, who checked the contents quickly, then looked Morgana over a bit warily. "I brought you some clothes and food at Merlin's request. It should hold you until you reach the Druids."

Morgana smiled a little, though it was unsure. The physician was clearly uncomfortable, and she could not blame him. Especially after the torture she had had him put through in her quest to find Emrys' identity. Her smile wavered at the memory. "Thank you, Gaius." The older man nodded uncertainly, and Merlin passed the bag through the bars. She nodded her thanks to him as Arthur called for the guards to release her.

Morgana did her best to avoid anyone as she made her way to the gate of the city. While she knew that Arthur and the council had done their best to punish her appropriately for her status, and Arthur was trying to understand what she had gone through-Merlin had forgiven her entirely, she thought-the citizens of Camelot would not be likely to settle for her banishment. Some might decide to take matters into their own hands. Probably the crowds of working men, stopping in the tavern for lunch. It was best to stick to the shadows.

She still wore the rags she had on in her desperate attempt to take the city. Now, all of Camelot looked different. Morgana supposed she had known about the enchantment, under it all. She knew something had changed after she had joined her sister. But she had never been worried. Never been concerned. She had never questioned it. But now she questioned everything. What opinions had been pushed on her? What ideals had she been forced to adopt, only because Morguase had believed them?

One thing Morgana did know was that she hated her father. He had lied to both of his children for as long as he could, killing thousands for petty revenge. And he would have killed Morgana too if he had known about her magic before she had been taken by Morguase. She had no doubt about that. And while she was not sure how she felt about him being her father, she was pleased that he was no longer king, ruling with hatred and using fear for control. She had hated that about him for as long as she could remember. Morgana knew that many of his knights and soldiers had only remained in his service as a sign of loyalty to Arthur. _He _was the king they wanted; and now that she was out from under her sister's influence, it was easier to see why. Even as a boy, Arthur had been more open minded and kinder than his father. More likely to break the rules if he could help someone else.

She remembered when a young Arthur-perhaps seven or eight years old-had ignored his father's summons and skipped his lessons so that he could help a girl from the lower town find her family when she had gotten lost.

_Did he really? I bet he got in a load of trouble._ Morgana smiled slightly at Merlin's voice in her mind. He may have taken her magic, but he had left her this. To help her fit in with the Druids, he had told her silently as Arthur watched on.

_Oh he did. No riding lessons or weapons training for two weeks. And he had to apologize to each member of the council, since that was why he summoned._

_I have no doubt that no one really minded when they found out what he'd been doing._

Morgana shifted the bag on her shoulder as she turned yet another corner onto a small side road between two shops. _He didn't tell them. He told me that his father didn't want to hear any excuses, so he wouldn't make any._

There was silence on Merlin's side for a moment, then he spoke again. His tone was fond, admiring, and perhaps a little sad. _He always did want to impress Uther, didn't he? _

_He did. And now?_

_Less so. He's recognizing Uther for who he was, and acknowledging the mistakes he made. He's his own man now._

Morgana's lips quirked up in a small smile as she ducked into a shadow to keep from getting recognized by a passing group. _Thanks to you, I believe. Maybe it would be better to say that he's your man now. _She could sense Merlin's amusement, his smile. _It really does seem as if you've saved us all, Emrys._

_So it seems. _There was a comfortable silence between them as she neared the gates, though she could feel that he was still with her. And, she guessed, watching her from one of Camelot's windows. After another minute, he asked, _Will you go to the Druids?_

_Yes, I will. I will recover. Then I will need their help._

_Help with what? _Morgana supposed that the sad tone she had used must have sparked his curiosity.

_My companion... I need to free her._

_Companion?_

_Yes. A young dragon. Her name is Aithusa._

_Aithusa? _Merlin sounded stunned. _A white dragon?_

Morgana faltered in her step. _How did you know?_

_I helped her to hatch. I saved her from a man who meant to sell her egg. She disappeared. Kilgharrah has been so worried about her. _He sounded relieved. _Is she alright?_

_She was wounded, but not fatally._ Of course Merlin knew about her friend. Hadn't he said something about being a Dragon Lord? _I'll get her back._

_If you should need it, I would be happy to offer you assistance. She's my charge, Morgana. She doesn't deserve this._

_No. No she doesn't. I'll send word when we move._

_Thank you._

There was silence again, more contemplative this time. It lasted until she reached the gate. She turned to face the citadel that had once been her home, and smiled ever so slightly. _Good bye, Emrys._

Arthur looked up from his report to see his servant smiling as he gazed out the window. He seemed to be lost in thought, though every so often he would nod, or incline his head as if he were listening to something. The king continued to watch-this odd behavior was far more interesting than his report anyway-and wondered at his friends actions. Clearly, Merlin was more powerful than Arthur had realized. It was one thing to throw mercenaries through the air-something he had seen many sorcerers accomplish-and another thing entirely to remove someone's magic while unravelling the spell of a High Priestess, a curse so powerful that it held even when the sorceress who cast it was dead. Or so he thought. It sounded more difficult.

He blinked to clear his thoughts away as Merlin finally turned away from the window with a nod, smiling and looking thoughtful. The servant startled when Arthur asked, "What were you doing?"

"Hm? Oh. Just saying goodbye." He started to gather Arthur's laundry to wash.

"Saying goodbye?"

"Yes. I've told you how magic users can sometimes talk to one another with their minds, haven't I?"

Arthur nodded slowly. "Well, yes... But you took her magic. How can she still talk to you?"

Merlin shifted slightly and recognized the signs of Merlin considering lying to him. Eventually, the younger man sighed. "There was something in Sigan's notes... He was trying to refine the spells to find ways to only take some of someone's magic, or only certain kinds of magic. One of his theories was that he could separate active magic from passive magic. Inherent magic. I was able to do that."

The blonde blinked. "So she still has magic? We released Morgana back into the world with magic?"

"No! No, of course not. Not like you're thinking, anyway. She still has just a seed of purely passive magic. The kind of magic that can only serve one purpose, and was a part of her since her birth. Things like speaking with her mind. And she'll heal a little faster than people like you who have no magic. It's something she's always been able to do, like me. It's as natural for her as breathing. I'd already taken her beliefs from her. And her magic. Which, I imagine, is painful, to say the least..." He shifted slightly, then shook his head. "I'd done enough to her. I didn't want her to be completely alone if she was able to leave Camelot. Now she can speak with the Druids. And me, if she needs to."

Arthur considered this for a long time, and Merlin returned to gathering the laundry, pulling clothes from all sorts of places-how they got there, and how Merlin found them, Arthur had no idea. Then the king sat forward. "Could you pass along a message for me?"

Merlin blinked. "Oh. Yes. Sure. If you'd like me to."

"I would. Tell her..." He shifted in his seat, trying to figure out the best way to say this. "Tell her that I've forgiven her."

Merlin blinked yet again, then grinned. "Yes, sire." He glanced at the window as if he could see Morgana still. Arthur was somewhat impressed that the smile grew as his friend faced him again. "She says that she is more than grateful. And that this is why you're a good king."

**Again, I apologize for the delay. But at least it****'****s my longest chapter. That makes up for it right? Anyway, only one chapter to go. Please review! It****'****s great motivation.**

**Aralana**


	10. A Knight's Honor

**Yet again, I apologize for the wait. I hope you enjoy this little break in the reveals. I got the inspiration for this fic from a review someone left (and I'm so sorry, but I can't find it, so I don't know who left it). Thanks so much for recommending this; it was so fun to write.**

Another hunt. Arthur had dragged him out on another hunt. As if the last one hadn't been bad enough with Arthur slowly bleeding out on a dragon. At least this time there had been no accidents. No attacks. No revelations of great secrets. Just a large collection of dead animals that Merlin had to help carry home. And then had to take to the kitchens all on his own ("No Arthur, I don't mind. You go on ahead. I'm sure Gwen wants to see you. I'll get it all to Cook. I don't need any help, nope, none at all") so he was thoroughly exhausted.

He barely made it back to his room, and only managed that much after Cook gave him a small meat pie that he scarfed down as he trudged up the stairs. Tossing his coat, belt, and neckerchief aside, then tugging off his boots, he felt he had accomplished enough to warrant collapsing on the bed otherwise fully dressed. He was unconscious before he landed. Nothing could wake him until morning, and only then because Gaius had mastered the art of getting Merlin out of bed.

The next morning, Gaius chose his 'shouting and tugging Merlin's blankets out of reach' method, and it had the warlock shouting back good-naturedly in a matter of minutes. A normal enough morning. That is, until Merlin got up to dress.

He pulled on his trousers and slid into a shirt, and then began to dig around in the mess of his room to find where he'd tossed his belt the night before. And he dug. And he dug. And he dug. Well, Merlin thought, he'd just have to find it later. He didn't have time to keep looking if he wanted to have Arthur's breakfast to him on time. So he opened his cupboard to find his blue neckerchief in hopes that it might distract from his lack of belt, but his scarves were gone too. A quick glance around the room told him that even the one from the day before was gone. He frowned. No neckerchief, no belt. No jacket, either, by the look of it. One final check revealed that his boots were also missing. How?

He peeked his head around his door. "Um, Gaius?"

"Yes?" The physician barely glanced his way as he mixed some tonic or other.

"Did… Did anyone come by last night? Specifically to my room?" The smallest of hesitations in Gaius' normally quick routine was all the answer Merlin needed. "Who was it?"

Gaius shook his head before trying to sound nonchalant. "I don't know what you're talking about, Merlin." It impressed Merlin, really, that Gaius was as bad a liar as he was. "Shouldn't you be getting the king's breakfast?"

"Who was it? Who took my stuff?"

The old man huffed. "Percival. He said something about paying you back. Leon was with him." He paused, then added defensively, "I only allowed it because it was those two. If they're coming after you, you must have deserved it. What did you do?"

Merlin spluttered. "Nothing! I didn't do anything! I know I didn't-" He blinked. "Oh."

"Oh?" Gaius asked, raising a satisfied eyebrow.

"You said it was Percival?" He sighed. "He's getting back at me for using magic on him, and on Leon."

The physician froze. "You what?"

"Remember? The Fomorrah? I told you about that. I had to knock them out to get away." The warlock shook his head. "Percival promised to get me back for it."

"For using magic on him."

"Yeah. Do you have a spare belt? I really need to get to Arthur before he goes on a hunt for me."

Gaius stepped forward and grabbed Merlin's shoulders to ensure he had the boy's attention. "He knows you used magic."

"Of course. Belt? I really need to— Oh." Merlin blinked. "I didn't tell you, did I?"

"Tell me what, Merlin?" The infamous brow was rising higher, and the warlock tried his hardest not to flinch.

"I told him about me… And Gwaine. I told Gwaine." The brow rose even higher, and Merlin really began to worry. "And Gwen… And Elyan… And, well…Arthur."

"Arthur." The physician's voice was flat, stunned.

"Yes, Arthur. But it's okay! Really! He's fine with it. I mean, he's known for ages now. And he's been great, so…" He smiled awkwardly. When his guardian did not react, he hesitantly took a step back towards the door. "I've got to go see to Arthur now." When he received no answer, he nodded. "Right. Yes." He took a few more steps. "Bye then." Gaius still had not moved by the time Merlin reached the door, so he opened it and stepped halfway through before calling, "Bye Gaius!" Then he shut the door behind him and sprinted towards Arthur's chambers, slipping down the corridors in his socks.

He burst through the king's door. "Arthur! Gaius is going to kill me."

Arthur jolted upright, instinctively grabbed for his knife, and searched the room for the threat. When he saw Merlin and no one else, he huffed and sunk back against the pillows. "What, Merlin?" He frowned at his servant. "Why aren't you wearing shoes?"

"What? Oh. Percival and Leon stole them. And my belt. And my scarves. And my jacket. But that's not the problem! Gaius is going to kill me!" Merlin stormed over to tug away his king's blankets. "Help!"

"_Mer_lin!" He launched himself forward in a desperate attempt to get his blankets back, and when he failed, he rolled out of bed with another huff to dress. "Why is Gaius going to kill you?"

"Because he just found out that everyone knows I have magic. And I realized I'd never told him, so…" Merlin hastily laid out Arthur's clothes for the day.

"And why didn't you tell him?" he asked, in that familiar tone that questioned his servant's sanity.

"I just, you know. Forgot. Can I borrow some boots?" he asked quickly in an obvious attempt to distract the king.

It didn't work. "You forgot? Only you, Merlin," Arthur sighed. "Did you get rid of those boots I told you too?" 

Merlin's eyes lit up. "No! They're still in the trunk. I was going to do that today!" The servant ran over to the small trunk tucked away in the corner and dug around until he emerged with a victorious cry and a very worn pair of boots. Sliding them on over his thick socks, he realized they were slightly too small, but he could deal with them for a day. "Thanks! I'll, um. Get your breakfast now."

The king smirked. "Maybe you should take a belt too. I'd hate for those innocent serving girls to see you indecent."

Merlin snorted and replied, "As if any of Cook's girls are innocent." At his friend's raised eyebrow, Merlin blushed. "The servants talk, Arthur. We hear a lot."

"I can only imagine. Just put on a belt and get my breakfast." Merlin grinned, pulled a thin strap that could barely be called a belt from the trunk, and ran off.

When Merlin returned, his grin was triumphant and his blue scarf was hanging loosely around his neck. "Look what I found!"

Arthur, fully dressed now, examined him. "A jester's costume?"

"Haha. Yes, Arthur, you're so clever." He tugged at his scarf. "It looks like Leon and Percival have hidden all of my things. Cook said she heard that everything would be in different places. So all of my clothes are scattered throughout the castle."

"Clearly not all of them," Arthur replied as he sat at his table for his breakfast. "You're dressed after all. But it seems to me that your day should continue as usual."

"Usual? Arthur, I need my things…

"And you found that hideous scarf by following your usual routine, didn't you?"

The warlock blinked. "Well, technically, yes, but-"

"So I suggest you continue on as though today were any other day, and I'm sure you'll find everything." Arthur selected a sausage and bit into it.

"That…actually makes sense, I think. That sounds like Leon. I mean, Percival would hide everything everywhere, so I'd never find it. But Leon…" Merlin tilted his head thoughtfully as he wandered over to Arthur's bed to strip away the sheets. "Leon would try to be fair. Right?"

Arthur swallowed before answering him, "I think that would be the case."

The two men fell into a companionable silence as Merlin gathered the laundry. The only sounds were Arthur's fork, a rustling of papers as he began to read over reports, and a single muttered spell when Merlin patched up a small hole he had just torn as Arthur's favorite shirt caught on a nail.

Arthur looked over at that. "You didn't use to do that, did you? Use magic in front of me before I knew about you, I mean."

The warlock looked up, his eyes wide in an expression of innocence that his friend did not trust for a moment. "No? I mean, that would have been illegal."

"Right." He rolled his eyes. "Because that's stopped you before." Merlin grinned. "You're a menace. Come on. Get me ready for training."

The laundry pile was abandoned as Arthur's servant stood to get the training armor. The king pushed away from the table and held his arms out for Merlin to slide the hauberk over his head and strap it in place. The familiar routine of helping Arthur with his armor almost always helped him to relax. It was a comfortable, simple set of movements, and he knew that Arthur relied on him to get everything right. Even if it was only for training.

Only a few minutes later, Merlin handed over the last piece of equipment: the sword. Arthur slid the belt around his waist. "I want you to look over my equipment today. Clean my armor, sharpen my knives-"

"Check on your crossbows and make sure you've got enough maces for all of the squires to train with. I know." Merlin smiled brightly.

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Yes, Merlin. Exactly. Very good. You'd think that I wouldn't even need to say it anymore," He said pointedly, but Merlin's grin only grew wider. The king shook his head and left.

Merlin returned to the pile of sheets and clothes, and bundled it up to head down to the laundry. The servants already there greeted him, a few hiding snickers. He sighed and dropped his bundle on the ground. "Alright then. What did they hide? Where is it?" One woman chuckled. "Oh come on, Elsie. Don't tell me Percival managed to charm _you_."

"Oh he did, lad. Have you seen the arms on that one?" She grinned wickedly, her own muscular arms flexing as she folded a thick blanket. "Hard not to be charmed by them."

"And here I thought you could resist anyone and anything." Merlin sat beside her to sort through the laundry, and began to soak some of it in one of the large wooden tubs scattered around the room.

Elsie—and quite a few of the other servants—laughed. "I can. If I want to." She winked conspiratorially. "But maybe I didn't want to." 

Merlin joined in on the laughter this time. "Maybe I should let him know just how charmed you were by his arms."

"Please do, lad. And make sure to mention that my room is much closer to the training fields than his own."

Merlin loved coming to work down here. He really did. The rooms filled with servants of all kinds, from all skill levels. It reminded him of the tavern in Ealdor, where no one feared to speak their minds or laugh with each other. Conversations like these, he thought, were rare among the nobility. They were less so among the knights, but were certainly scarce among the lords and ladies that Arthur dealt with so often these days.

"I'll tell him that if you tell me where to find whatever it is he's hidden in here." Elsie tapped her chin thoughtfully, and Merlin tilted his head down so he was looking up at her. He even widened his eyes for effect. "Come on, sweet Elsie. You wouldn't leave a man without his own clothes, would you?"

The woman shook her head, her smile warm. "I suppose not, you cheeky little thing. If I were you, lad, I might take a peek at the clothes line outside."

Merlin grinned and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "I'll put in a good word for you. Promise." He stood to skip out in search of his jacket (or belt, or shoes, or scarves, or whichever this was), but froze when Elsie called his name. "Yes?"

"You might want to finish those sheets first, my boy."

The grin turned sheepish, and he dropped back down before his tub again to finish the laundry.

When he finally reached the training fields, he wore his own belt and a smile.

Arthur was demonstrating a series of blocks for the squires to practice while the more experienced knights sparred with each other. Percival had only just managed to force Gwaine to yield, so Merlin wandered over to them.

Percival saw him first and raised an eyebrow. "Good morning, Merlin. Are those Arthur's boots?" If Merlin hadn't known better, he would have sworn Percival was innocent; he played the part so well. But Merlin did know better.

"They are, yes. Mine seem to have gone missing." He smiled sweetly at the larger man. "You haven't seen them, have you?"

Percival scratched the back of his neck, tilting his head. "Mm… No, I can't say that I have. Sorry."

"Shame. See, I've found a belt and one scarf… I wonder who could have taken my things."

"Hard to say. It could have been anyone, couldn't it, Gwaine?" 

Gwaine tossed his hair out of his face, glancing between his two friends. "Your clothes have gone missing? You haven't found a new lady friend, have you Merlin?"

Merlin and Percival glanced at each other and neither could help laughing. Merlin might have even snorted. When he saw Gaine's raised eyebrow, he laughed louder. "No, Gwaine," he finally wheezed out. "Not a lady friend."

"Oh." The knight shrugged. "So the girl in the lake isn't available then."

"No. She's not." The warlock shook his head. "Anyway, let me know if you see anything of mine." He gave Percival a final look, then waved as he trotted off to find Arthur. He was halfway to the king when he paused. "Oh! Percival!" The knight looked up. "Elsie has her eye on you!Your arms flirted with her this morning. You should have been more careful." He grinned wickedly, and laughed again at the larger man's worried expression.

He was still chuckling when he reached the king, who merely raised an eyebrow. "I was right, then," he said after a moment.

"Right about what?" his servant asked as he took Arthur's sword and set it aside to hand the king his mace, knowing what was needed before he was asked.

As Arthur checked it over, he replied, "About you finding your things by actually doing your work for once.

"Oh. Yes. I've got my own belt again. Still missing my boots though." The servant shrugged.

"Well, get to work on the practice swords. I'm sure you'll find everything before too long." Merlin nodded and grabbed the whetstone. Arthur wandered back onto training field, calling the squires to him again. When Merlin pulled his usual stool out of the corner of the tent to place it by the opening where he could watch the training squires, two brown, buckle-covered shapes were revealed.

"Arthur!" Merlin called excitedly. When the king looked over, his servant held his boots aloft with a triumphant grin. Arthur rolled his eyes, but Percival laughed, and Merlin was sure Leon was smiling behind his hand.

The warlock dropped onto his stool and tugged off the too-small boots he'd been wearing all day, before sliding on his own with a sigh of relief. The squires watched him, murmuring in confusion, but the knights barely gave him a second glance. Apparently they weren't fazed by today's antics. Merlin wasn't surprised.

As the day progressed, Merlin found one scarf in his regular corner of the council chambers, another in the stables under Arthur's saddle, and his jacket, very memorably, hanging from a flag pole outside the library's window. There was only one scarf left, but Merlin had no idea where it could be. He'd gone through his daily chores a second time through already, and a third just in case, but the neckerchief was nowhere to be found. And it was his favorite neckerchief, the red one.

The servant pulled Arthur's curtains closed after he lit the candles around his friend's chambers. "You're sure you haven't seen it?"

"I assure you, Merlin, if I'd seen that rag around, I would have told you. I don't want it out there where anyone could see it." He slid off his shirt and turned to find Merlin by his side with his nightshirt. "Oh. Thank you."

Merlin smiled and helped to slide the shirt over his king's head, then moved to the fireplace. The nights had been getting cooler as they grew closer to winter, and fires were being lit all throughout the castle each night before bed. While Arthur finished preparing himself for bed, Merlin prepared the fireplace. He swept out the old ashes and carefully arranged fresh logs and kindling before he grabbed his flint box. The first few sparks sputtered away, so Merlin leaned in further to try to reach the back of his pile. He was just about to try again when a shadow in the chimney caught his eye.

Arthur looked over at his friend after he'd been buried in the chimney for a long while. "Merlin?" he asked, stepping closer and wearing the familiarly fond, yet exasperated, expression. "Did you get lost? Or did your ears get stuck? I know they're quite large, but this is a little ridiculous."

"What? No. Hang on." Merlin crawled out after another moment, soot dusting freckles over his cheeks and neck. "Look!" The younger man held out a dark lump of cloth, its color indistinguishable through the ashes that had been rubbed into it.

"What is that?"

"My neckerchief! I found it!"

Arthur scrunched his eyebrows, and his gaze wandered from the lump to Merlin and back again. "Are you sure?"

The warlock rolled his eyes, and Arthur saw them flicker that shining gold. The soot and ash embedded in the cloth pulled away and flew over to the bucket of debris Merlin had swept from the fireplace a few minutes previous. Sure enough, the bundle left behind was a bright Pendragon red, though its owner was still powdered with cinders. "Yes, I'm sure."

Arthur couldn't help glancing around to make sure no one had seen Merlin's blatant use of magic. "Well then. You've found everything."

"I have. Do you think that makes me and Percival even now?" He tied the scarf around his neck to hang over the blue one he'd found that morning.

Arthur shrugged and slid into his bed, fixing his blankets and pillows until he was comfortable. "You'll have to ask him. But you need to start that fire first."

"You know, lots of people in Camelot will sleep just fine tonight without a fire in their room. Me, for example," he said pointedly, but without bite, as he knelt to give the fire another go.

"Yes," Arthur replied, "I know. But you—and they—are not the king. There have to be some perks to this job."

"True enough." It took him a few more tries to get the flame to catch, but when it did, Merlin sat back on his heels to admire his work. "There you go. That should hold for a while." He stood and moved around the room, extinguishing candles.

"I need you on time tomorrow, Merlin. I have a meeting with the council first thing," Arthur said as his good night, settling against his pillows.

"Yes, sire." He blew out the last candle, then left his king to sleep.

He made his way back up towards his room with a tired smile, more than pleased to have all of his clothes back. Now he could go to sleep at a decent hour and wake up on time for once. He pushed open the door to the Physician's chambers to find the man standing with both arms crossed and one eyebrow raised. Merlin winced.

"Oh."

The eyebrow miraculously moved higher. "Oh? Is that all you have to say? Oh?"

Merlin bit his lip sheepishly. "Sorry?"

Gaius shook his head. "I think we have some things to talk about, my boy. And," the old man continued as he stepped aside, revealing a glass basin streaked with green, "you have a leech tank to clean."

Merlin groaned. So much for a good night's sleep.

**Okay. There will be one, and only one chapter after this. I hope to start writing it right away, but we****'****ll see. Anyway, I hope you stick around for it.**

**Aralana**


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